In the Shadows
by Ellisama
Summary: Having lost many good ANBU in the invasion, Tsunade sends Shikamaru into ANBU training. How does this simple change alter the entire future of rookie nine? And how will he cope with living his 'normal life', while hiding his true occupation? Shikatema
1. Prologue of the End

Alright everybody, welcome to the rewrite of In the Shadows. Expect more fights, more character development, less technical mistakes (all hail Evercold, the one beta) and a better plot.

Most of the story remains the same. **To everybody who read up until Chapter 10**; Some strange parts will be left out, but most of the time parts will be added to the story, like insight to his training, and a little bit more interaction between the rookie nine. The first 3 or 4 chapters will change, after that it will mostly be beta'd and expanded by a 100 or 200 words.

**To the new readers:** Welcome! This story is about Shikamaru, the main pairing is Shikatema, but it won't happen immediately.

And remember, I love deceptions. **Just because something is stated, doesn't mean it's true. **You will find out in the later chapters that some people really like to lie.

I am always open for suggestions, and if you think my story lacks something I am also very willing to change it as long as it doesn't mess with the plot. The next chapter is already at the beta, and is the longest chapter I've written so far with 9.400 words. Just so you know what to expect of this story.

Now, let's begin.

* * *

_**Chapter One: Prologue of End**_

_In retrospect, becoming an ANBU was Shikamaru's first step in self-fulfillment. In other words, it was the first time he actually did something with that big brain of his. By having to use his 'resourcefulness', or laziness like his teacher back then used to call it, in order to survive, he found out that you needed to do more than just watch the world pass by to make a living. _

_And Shikamaru had watched the world pass by for many years, the same people doing the same things for slightly different reasons in slightly different ways. From a distance, it all seemed so similar, so plain and predictable. Not unlike the clouds he also liked to observe, but more troublesome. Staring off into the distance did not only give him the nickname of 'lazy bum' but as well the skills of a keen observer at a very early age. A skill most people try and fail to attain their entire life. _

_So, even at the tender age of 12, Shikamaru could see that becoming one of them would be a turning point in his life. In retrospect, a good turning point. He wasn't so 'sure' of that when they first 'approached' him with the 'offer', though._

* * *

"Come in."

The door opened and he and his father entered the office. He remembered seeing five other's in the room; two men he remembered as examiners in the Chuunin exam, a woman holding an overdressed pig, an ANBU, probably guarding the last woman who seemed to dominate the room despite her young appearance. Seeing she was sitting in the chair that had been occupied by the late third Hokage until last week, he could guess just why.

His father knew the lady apparently. "Hello Tsunade-sama, it is nice to see you again." Shikaku greeted her. "I see you have been elected…?"

"That's right Shikaku, I am." She replied warmly. "It has been to long since I returned anyway. Might as well make sure this village actually gets somewhere." Judging from their shared glances, he assumed they had a past. Knowing his father and seeing at least 5 empty sake bottles poorly hidden behind the desk, he assumed the scenery had been a bar, and a lot of alcohol had been involved.

"I am sure you will make Konoha a better place." His father replied with the hint of a smirk on his face. _'For drinkers, probably'_

The new Hokage, or Tsunade-sama as his father had called her, smiled at both of them but spoke more sternly. "But that's not why I called you here. I have a couple of things to discuss with you two." She motioned the woman, whom he assumed to be her assistance from the way she obeyed the simple hand guesture as if it had been a very detailed written command, picking up a single piece of clothing laying in the mess. "First of all, Shikamaru, we decided to promote you to Chuunin. Here's your vest." And she handed him the vest. Shikamaru doubted a second before he took it, and not a smile of joy or accomplishment could be seen on his face, but one of suspicion before he schooled his features. It did not go unseen.

Though he wasn't surprised, his father being an entirely different story. He eyed his lazy son's appearance for a second, before breaking out into a semi-proud, semi-surprised grin. "Congratulations son." Shikamaru just nodded appreciatively. His father's eyes searched the room for a second, and turned them to the examiners in a silent question.

However, by the way his smile was becoming less and less genuine, Shikamaru was fairly sure he didn't ask the same question that he had in mind. "May I ask why we don't wait for the rest to arrive?"

Something in the back of the room seemed to move, but he was not interested enough to find out exactly what did. He did see the simple but meaningful glance in Tsunade's laughing eyes. "There are no others. Shikamaru is the only one who is deemed qualified to become Chuunin" The examiner answered plainly.

His father did not seem satisfied, nor unsatisfied, and Shikamaru assumed he too had lost interest. He did not ask any further questions.

"Moving on to the next topic: Shikaku, I have a mission for you and your team." His father's pose straitened and Shikamaru watched in slight awe as his father transformed in seconds from lazy drinker to qualified Jounin. He nodded. "I want you to determine how far the city is damaged by invasion, and how we can prevent it from getting destroyed again."

Shikaku nodded, "Anything else?"

Tsunade handed him a scroll, and Shikaku pocketed it away. "Nothing but that, and just find start right away. We can't remain this vulnerable to enemies for long, the elders even speak of a possible 'aftershock'."

Shikaku nodded, and bowed. "I accept"

And with that, he left the room through the open window. His son was about to do the same, though he preferred a door, when he was stopped by the new Hokage.

"Please, close the door, Shikamaru. I have something else to discuss with you that will not leave this room." Her voice held a threatening edge that made him wonder whether or not he would be leaving this room safe and sound either.

Slowly, taking in his surroundings better in order to regain some control over the situation, he closed the door and returned to the desk

"Sit down please." She said, a pleasant smile edged into her face. There were no traces of ageing in that smile, but they were obviously there in her voice. "I know you already have a suspicion of what I am about to propose to you."

He was about to answer that that smirking examiner in the back did not make him any less suspicious. However, he realized that he would get in a lot of unwanted trouble for saying it, so he kept quiet and merely nodded. After all, it was true.

"I've heard about your performance in the chuunin exam, and we agreed you should be promoted. But your skill level is too low for a chuunin, yet your ability to plan your moves is remarkable and far above Jounin level. You sure gave us a hard time, but- "

"I refuse." He cut her off calmly, but clearly not amused.

Tsunade frowned slightly, but replied just as calmly; "You haven't even heard my offer."

"I am well aware what it is, why else would he be here after all?" He said, pointing at the ANBU in the back of the room. The ANBU waved back mockingly. "And I am well aware what the job entails. You just said yourself that my skill level is already too low to become a chuunin. So with all due respect, Hokage-sama, I refuse."

The Hokage's expression deformed slightly and the smile had been washed of her face during his words, but she did not acknowledge or respond to them. The way she pulled a bottle of sake out of the nowhere and opened it with a frustrated sigh did not quite complete of a woman who tried to convince him of something. Her thoughts must have been something like, _'What a great way to start my new career, can I still get out of here?' _or something like that.

Shikamaru did not feel an ounce of sympathy.

After she had lurked down at least half the bottle, she sighed.

Then she leaned over the counter slightly and looked him firmly in the eye, looking thoroughly pissed. "Listen brat, I don't have time for your sentimental bullshit and teenage insecurities or whatever is keeping you from following my orders."

The entire room held his breath.

"I am not just some woman who decided to sit down in the Hokage's chair and promote random children." She continued brutally, her tone becoming more dangerous and dominating with every passing word. Shikamaru noted that she indeed wasn't whom he had thought het to be. "I was once one of them, hell, I held every single rank available in this village. I know what I'm doing. So listen to me, brat; You are going to become an ANBU, whether you like it or not"

"You just said yourself-" He started weakly, but was interrupted by the sound splitting wood.

The sound of her fist splitting the desk in two echoed through the office, and everybody safe for the woman herself was momentary paralyzed from surprise and listened to her every word when she spoke again. "I don't care about fancy Jutsu, I don't care about bloodlimits, and I most definitely don't care if you actually defeated that girl or not, if that was your next question. Skills like that can be taught, either by experience or by training."

"Strength, stamina, jutsu, they can all be taught easily. To teach someone to plan like you do, or to be use so little to accomplish so much… It simply cannot be taught, you either can or can't. And currently we are in a dire need of people who can." The ANBU from the back of the room suddenly supplied, and retreated to his corner.

"Thank you, Tenzou." Tsunade said slightly more relaxed, but still frighteningly tense. "Shikamaru, I am well aware that your age and your motivation are the problem here. I admit you are quite young. However, you have to understand that the invasion cost us more than the village leads on. Many people died, and most of them were capable ANBU."

"A village cannot go without a certain amount of ANBU for long, so neither of us has a choice: you will become an ANBU."

Shikamaru, defeated but slightly more understanding than he had been before, just nodded. No need to fight for a lost cause.

Tsunade smiled, but it was not the smile of victory. "You are a bright kid, your teacher told me you passed the academy without opening your eyes?" She asked much more softly.

Shikamaru smirked ever so slightly at the nostalgia before she reverted to her role as Hokage. You will have to leave that attitude behind though, together with your former sensei. You will be trained by Tenzou from now on!"

"What?" His eyebrows hit his hairline at the statement. "I have to leave my team behind as well?"

"Language, brat" She retorted. "And no, you will still be doing some missions with them to cover up for your position in the ANBU. But you will not be trained anymore by Asuma-kun"

"Is that it?"

She nodded. Shikamaru watched her in defeat, but didn't argue any further. He wasn't going to get out of this, and he knew it.

Then, the ANBU suddenly moved and a second later, he stood right in front of him. "My name is Tenzou" He said, as he removed his mask to reveal his face. "And I'm going to be your sensei."

"Nara Shikamaru" He replied, shaking the man's offered hand without much excitement. Tenzou did not seem to take this personally, and before Shikamaru knew it, the events started to blur into each other. He vaguely remembered closing the door before hearing the Hokage mutter something about leadership, and a bet. He didn't sober up from his little trance until he realized that he stood outside the office with an ANBU in civilian clothing, leading him to the headquarters and most likely, his doom.

* * *

_So yes, he had to admit to her that he had been forced into ANBU under no uncertain terms, but many things in his life had been forced on him! Becoming a ninja for instance, turned out to be a hell lot less troublesome than he had originally thought it would be. Okay, that was a lie, it was worse, but he did enjoy more than he had assumed he would. He had also been forced into making friends by his parents when he preferred the presence of the quiet clouds over his loud classmates, but he was eternally grateful for Ino and Chouji's friendship._

_And even though their relationship was forced on him, he was in the end rather grateful to have known his teacher._

* * *

After a short travel to the more deserted parts of town and being led under the ground through some pretty tricky constructions, they arrived at their destination. It was not exactly a building, more like a series of linking rooms under the village, no doubtly with multiple exits. He almost laughed at the irony of it; the most secretive organization was right under their noses, literally. Tenzou mistook it however for surprise or even excitement at seeing the place.

"Welcome at your ANBU training, Shikamaru. This is the ANBU headquarter." Tenzou said as soon as they had reached one of the more inner rooms of the complex. Apparently they were going somewhere. "And, do you like it?"

"It's dark." Was all he said, but in reality, a lot more went through his mind as he took in his surroundings. Most rooms were dark, no windows. The rooms were slightly lid by candles, but they all seemed much the same. Shikamaru was sure that, given some time and some really hard thinking, he would be able to retrace his steps and escape. But not before they would find him.

Tenzou brought him to another dimly lit room. This one was obviously smaller, and meant for individual use. There was a bed, which looked really tempting after all this mess, and a small table with a chairs in the other corner of the room, with a single lit candle on top of it. He noticed the entire left wall was a built-in cabinet. The room was extremely small, and the floor and ceiling were obviously unequal. It was so much unlike his home that it made him shudder, especially when Tenzou told him that he would be staying here for the next month.

For what seemed like the twenties time that day, he merely nodded and swallowed his protests. ANBU had a no-nonsense policy, or so he assumed.

"We have lots of things that require our attention." He resumed, and motioned Shikamaru to the the chair. He himself sat down on the bed. "I will train you in the following months, starting right away, and you'll have to stay at the headquarters for the at least the first month. We have to get you used to what you can expect as an ANBU."

Shikamaru's head got tired of nodding. "I assume you told my friends and family I'm on a mission"

"Yes, Hokage-sama got that covered." And Tenzou chuckled, probably wondering what kind of excuse she had come up with. "But about your training. I know you aren't exactly motivated, so I have an alternative. You will still have to work, and slacking off will not be encouraged, but…"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue. "You've got my interest, what do you propose."

"Well, I know your a quick learner, so instead of drilling something into you, I will give you a list of what you have to do every day. You'll study that after our work-out, and then I will test you. After you've done that, you'll be able to do whatever you want, until the evening work-out and dinner. Except for leaving of course."

Shikamaru smiled meekly. The man was not as strict as he had assumed him to be. Later, he would find out that he had been blessed with one of the few other ANBUs with an 'attitude problem', as a teacher. And that the main reason for his altered training was not Shikamaru, but the man's interest in his own already rare spare time.

_"_We will start every day with training to increase your stamina and chakra from 6 till 10, and when you get better, I might teach you some jutsu. After the training, I'll give you a scroll like these," he opened his pocket and pulled a couple of small scrolls out of it. "And you study and master whatever I write or store in it. You can take as long as you want, but you can't do anything else till you're done." He handed him a scrol

Shikamaru read it with mild interest. "Human Anatomy?"

"All human bones and muscles for tomorrow. Human Anatomy is basic ANBU knowledge, since we use many techniques that require it." He had obviously expected the question, judging from the textbook answer. Sure, ANBU were known for their assassinations, or the one time they actually had to hunt down a missing-nin. But in reality, that hardly ever happened. Unlike common belief, ANBU weren't trained on brutal power and ways to kill, but usually ways to spy, paralyze, kidnap or just guard someone unnoticed.

Shikamaru was well aware that teaching him all these things would take some effort from his side. He sighed, but saw it was not the worst deal he could make. "Reasonable."

Tenzou stood up, and took one last look at the room. "This will be your room from now on." He said before closing the door, looking at his new student for one last time. "Do with it whatever you want. Most ANBU call their room in the headquarters their 'second home', and many have requested to move in permanently, because they hardly ever visit their real one anyway. There was once someone who wanted to move his family in along, but I think..." He stopped mid-sentence as he saw the look on the boys face.

Then, he closed the door and left without a single word. Shikamaru let the scroll fall on the floor and laid down on the bed, trying to wrap his mind around todays events, and how his life had been forcibly changed to a point of no return. There was no control, no choice left for him. He turned his back to the door and pretended to sleep for the world.

The feeling of would haunt him for years to come, conscious or subconscious.

* * *

_Admitted, he sometimes needed a push, or rather a shove in the right direction. However, there was limit, he told her. And this was it. But he hadn't known that when he had been just 12, not even when he was 15. It was not that he hadn't known it could happen, he had seen it happen in his family quite often. It was a tradition._

* * *

Every culture, every civilization and even every family has its traditions. The ANBU, being an organization dating back from the foundation of Konoha, was no exception to this rule.

One of their famous traditions was dumping new arrivals in the maze under the city and record the time it took them to get back. This ancient old tradition was still the source of many nightmares for ANBUs. However, traditions do not necessarily need to be ancient or even old. New traditions can be created. Like Tenzou's tradition of trying and failing to scare the ANBU by letting miniature trees pop up right under their noses. Another relatively new tradition came to be during Shikamaru's first month, after Tenzou had actually complained that Shikamaru could memorize everything with a single - disinterested even! – glance that told him that really, he didn't care. The other ANBU had told him to stop complaining and keep challenging him.

On Tenzou's part, this was not fun. However, the other ANBUs got a break from their usual serious work to see their colleague spend hours thinking of new ways to trick Shikamaru into becoming motivated. And after Shikamaru had been ordered to challenge Konoha's lead strategist in Shougi and won, the famous tradition began: when will Tenzou crack and give up? It soon grew out of proportions.

However, as you might be able to understand, Shikamaru was not pleased. Even though nobody told him about it, and really, most of them were really friendly, he easily found out. And confronted Tenzou, the man he had started to dislike a lot after too many crazy assignments.

"Then why won't you at least act like you are at least slightly interested?" Tenzou retorted that particular Sunday evening when they came back from training.

Shikamaru snorted. "Because I am not interested."

"You are still too rude." Tenzou sighed, most likely internally commenting his lack of respect for authority again. Both of them were calm on the outside, but on the inside… "You could at least be slightly honored by the fact you were given this chance. Many would have killed for the opportunity you're getting, but you're throwing it away."

Shikamaru's eyes widened and his voice was reduced to an angry hiss. "Maybe because I don't want it, give it too somebody else if it's such a honor!"

Tenzou's eyes widened, but he turned his back to Shikamaru. "Well then, go!"

"Maybe I will." He hissed back, turning his back to the man as well.

They both kept on walking away from each other until they were at least a few meters away from each other, silently and slowly stepping out of each other's lives when-

"But think, while you were here, a friend of yours ran away as well." Tenzou suddenly said. "Maybe he was forced to, maybe he left by choice. However, he was brought back, but at a price. A member of the retrieval party was wounded in the process, and might never fully recover. If he hadn't run away, that man would have been able to live a normal life."

Shikamaru turned around to see that Tenzou had done the same, and was looking a lot more serious than the man's usual mock seriousness. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Maybe, if you run away tonight, you will be able to follow your grand scheme of things." He explained. "However one day, when you are stronger but not as strong as you could be, there will be people who could have been saved if you would have been."

"And then is the question, will you be able to life with yourself?" He questioned, his eyes almost hollow. He remembered asking himself if it was natural. "Will you still be able to pretend to be an average person, who can only accomplish average things averagely, never exceeding expectations because you were to immature to just follow a single order?"

Shikamaru paused for a second, all silent anger from before transformed into actual calmness as he muttered honestly; "Maybe, I just didn't want to be like this. I always just wanted to be an average ninja, living an average life and be done with it."

"Life can never be planned, not even by you." Tenzou shot back, though considerably more relaxed. "You could always encounter causalities that would be lethal. You could also be lucky and die old and broken in a hospital bed with a tube in your throat. It does not matter if you would walk out that door or not, time and it's cruel ways remains."

"I am aware of that. But the control of my entire life was taken away from me in a few seconds. Would you like that?" Shikamaru almost pleaded, feeling like a child for a second.

"Control over your life? Please!" Tenzou said, as if Shikamaru had just told him he believed in fairies. "As long as we live in this village, not a single citizen will be in control of their own lives. Control? Best genjutsu ever, I would say. In that way, we are all one and the same."

Then he paused.

"However being special, which you most definitely are, is nothing to be alienated of. Why not at least try to except that part of yourself, and make the best of it?" He asked, and for the first time in, Shikamaru really felt like the man asked something of him, and not just because he was ordered to do it.

"Okay" It pleased him.

"And please, do me a favor and make both our lives easier by at least looking like you give a shit, because really, I have a life outside of making yours a hell."

Shikamaru brought his hand to his chin in mock seriousness, considering it."…. Are you sure?"

After that, Shikamaru did not suddenly show a display of motivation or an exceptional drive. He did smile little bit more though, and altered his life plan a little. Not too much of course, but Tenzou could live with that, or so he told himself.

It took him over 12 months to pass all ANBU tests, until he became a rookie ANBU. Basically being a genin all over again. Including the very 'troublesome' substitutes for D-rank missions in the decryption unit, and occasionally a few joined missions outside of the village until his aversion for the job was reduced to the occasional grunts of 'Mendokuse'.

A tradition, one could say.

* * *

_A tradition, like many others, lurking in the shadows of their everyday life, he told her. _

_A tradition he didn't know he detested this much until she-_

"_Until you"_

_She hit him for being such a sap, but laughe. They continued their journey, the road looming ahead of them in the shadows of their torch, 5 years after that day in the office, long before the start of his tale._

_

* * *

_

Well, the end of the first chapter. The next chapter will be up as soon as Evercold is done with it.

If you want to read the original story, I can send it to you. Just ask. Also, beware of the symbolism, and fear it.

Tell me what you think, and please, PLEASE, suggest something if you know an awesome plot point. I am far from allknowing.


	2. Facing the Faceless

_**EDIT: Beta'd Chapter. Now it's actually readable. I hope. I'm still waiting for suggestions, I got a few good ones though. For the readers of the original 'In the Shadows', there will be a short arc before the original second arc. **_

**_WARNING: MANY PLOT POINTS HIDDEN IN OBSERVATIONS! (This turns out to be an important chapter regarding later plot points)_**

_**Chapter 2**_**_-Facing the Faceless_**

_/"Parry!"_

_Shikamaru barely stopped the wooded sword with an X block, crossing his wrists in front of him. He tried to grab his teacher's hand and twist, but it didn't work._

_"I just did!" Shikamaru yelled back._

"_No, again!" Tenzou roared._

_The man came at him again, and this time Shikamaru stepped aside. His sensei drew his Katana back and threw a hit just next to Shikamaru's ear before he could raise his sword._

"_I said, parry!" His teacher roared again, coming at him with another attack, and Shikamaru met it head on with one of his own, punching the man back and effectively stopping the attack. He was sweating, he was fighting, every part of him was moving and working, but he wasn't really giving it his all._

_His teacher saw it, and it infuriated him. He attacked again but there was none of that fury reflected in his attack. It was void of emotion. It disgusted Shikamaru. He moved them across the training field quickly, his katana trying to make quick stabs into Shikamaru's body, while he moved away just in time. Tenzou was going slow, but Shikamaru didn't go faster, he couldn't go much faster and didn't want to either._

_"Boy, if you want to live, use some of that skill you possess."_

"_I can't do any better!" Shikamaru breathed out before he had to duck in order to avoid another stab of the wooden katana. His teacher obviously didn't believe him._

"_Bullshit, now parry!" He roared, and Shikamaru was forced to roll away again from the incoming storm of blows. The man could move, and Shikamaru really, really wanted to run away right now. He got up immediately and placed his own wooden katana between himself and the incoming attack. He managed to slip it around it and hit his teacher's wrist._

_The man didn't let go of the katana, but looked pleased._

_"Now that was parrying. Again!"_

_When Tenzou attacked again, it was even faster than before. Somewhere along the way he had decided that the sword was unnecessary, and he was now coming at him with whatever part of his that body could damage Shikamaru, and the boy was forced to drop his weapon as well. _

_Kick met kick, punches were diverted, jabs dodged, blows absorbed and given back twice the strength. Shikamaru could hear his heart beat in his head, but he had no time to think about it. He couldn't pull a trick, he couldn't think of a plan. He could only react, and his master seemed pleased._

_Of course, Tenzou would win this fight. In the many fights they had had so far in the past few weeks, the man had come at him with swords, knives, kunais and had even used him as a shuriken target once. Not once had Shikamaru come out the fight as a victor, and it was really starting to piss him off. The way they both knew he would lose. _

_So Shikamaru took it up a notch, very much unlike usually. He decided to go for the swords; they were lying not far away from them, most likely forgotten. Tenzou tried to pressure him to act, not to think, but that didn't keep him from doing it. He fought faster and faster, even if his body was aching. His blows were light because of it, but one blow would make sure the next one would hit as well. So when a low spear hand jabbed his abdomen, he was surprised. He hunched over involuntarily, and he was kicked in the shin. He flew back, and landed on the grass with a faint crack._

"_Aren't you were you wanted to be?" Tenzou said, standing in front of him with one of his feet on top of him, victorious as always. Shikamaru looked at him in a mixture of hurt and surprise. _

_"Your eyes told me everything! Didn't I tell you that you to never get your eyes of the target!" Tenzou roared, putting a little bit more weight into the foot that was keeping him down. Shikamaru didn't dare to look to his left, knowing that their wooden katanas would be lying within his grasp. He gulped_

"_First, never let go of your weapon." Tenzou said, pointing to them. "Second, if you lost it, forget it. Third;" He pulled a small knife out of his pocket. "Never forget to carry a backup plan." _

_Tenzou threw the knife a few centimeters past Shikamaru's ear, cutting of some strands of hair. He didn't flinch, the man wouldn't kill him. He had told him before; he had potential that couldn't go wasted. Dying would most likely be counted as wasting talent._

"_Did you see what just happened?" Tenzou asked him and removed his foot._

"_You won. Again. Then lectured me. Again." Shikamaru said._

"_Before that. And watch your tone. I have another backup plan in my other pocket."_

"_You knew what I was planning." Shikamaru said, breathing deeply._

"_I could see your eyes move to the swords, and you started moving the fight into their reaction." Tenzou replied, and he helped Shikamaru get up from his position. "Any enemy might pick that up, and use it to their advantage. You are not the only one who can use a sword."_

"_So you suggest I should just randomly jump into any battle and hit my foes any wherever I can?" He said, stretching his neck. It was sore, and his eyes were heavy, but he couldn't pull them away from his teacher. "Wasn't I sent here because I am good at planning?" He continued, still looking intently at his teacher._

_It wouldn't have mattered. His teacher was gone in a second and he was lying on the floor the next. His arms were pulled apart until he was spread-eagled, then further. Shikamaru kept quiet, but he could feel that he was on that his joints were about to be dislocated. He gave out a silent scream, and Tenzou stopped while Shikamaru crumpled, defeated._

_Tenzou stood up and shook his head in disappointment, turned around, opened his mouth to lecture and Shikamaru attacked. His foot hit the man's knee, and his handpicked something up and threw it right at the man's head. Tenzou looked surprised, but didn't show it in the way he dodged the katana and pushing Shikamaru back to the floor._

_"I see that you at least learned something today."_

_Shikamaru blinked. He was lying on the floor. Again. He had been defeated. Again. Tenzou chuckled at seeing his face._

_"You didn't give in, like you did at the Chuunin exam. You fought back when I had you on the ground. The ground is not death, a shinobi can even win when his arms cut of and he is lying on the ground." He said, and this time he helped Shikamaru up with both his arms, knowing that he was sore. "That, and you didn't look at the katana for a second, yet you picked it up and threw it in one swift motion."_

"_Don't trust your eyes Shikamaru, Genjutsu are focused on vision. Go for what your body tells you, but never let it show." He continued, patting his shoulder. _

_Shikamaru looked at him with wide eyes, somewhat surprised at the reaction. He had tried so hard to actually win before, but he had lost. Before, the motivation had counted, and Shikamaru had rarely shown it. But now, it didn't matter how hard he tried, it mattered that he succeeded, and Shikamaru felt a little bit older. _

_He wasn't sure he was happy with the change./_

Morning in Konoha, the sun was dawning and a new day was about to start. With one last look on the beautifully purple colored clouds, a certain ANBU finished his watch.  
"I'm going home, gotta catch some sleep before my mom finds out I was gone the entire night." He said after a long yawn.  
His partner nodded, and in a split second, he was no longer in front of the compound. His partner chuckled proudly. After knowing the man for many years, Shikamaru knew that he wasn't going to get a 'sleep well', or 'See you tomorrow'. The former would never come because Tenzou already thought he slept too much, and the latter because there might not be a tomorrow for both of them.

It was almost strange how accustomed he was to the thought that he might never see another sunrise. It was most definitely not part of the training that he'd had to think so… realistically about his future, but without saying a word, the entire mindset that came with the job taught him to think that way. Hope was for the ignorant, like Tenzou liked to say when he had one beer too many on one of their many celebrations. '_Carpe diem, memento mori'_, the familiar words that he saw every time he entered the headquarters. They were written on the walls of the main room by an unknown member. According to the tale, just before he died in a glorious battle, aiding his two best friends who both died as well.

That was most likely just a fable, but the motto fit the organization and its strange, often contradicting ways.

Shikamaru walked home, or rather sneaked home. Sneaking had become a second nature, as much as he would have liked to deny it. It wasn't particularly honorable like the glorious tales of the ninja world, but it was a living.

The two of them were stuck with guard duty, again, because they had been found relaxing during work. Again. Nobody particularly liked guard duty, but hey, doors don't complain or move on their own. It could be worse. His former classmates were almost all chuunins as well, and often had to do D-ranks just to keep them busy. In comparison to hunting for a cat, guarding a gate really wasn't all that much of a drag.

And those few real missions he actually had were mostly about spying in enemy territory. Thanks to his great stealth, he had four times been send to Sound for a month. The first time he had been a little bit scared to be find out, but his worries soon faded. He and Tenzou were obviously over trained in stealth, so he had nothing to worry about. Well, except for falling asleep, that is. Though things had been relatively interesting so far.

Of course, there was the hiccough incident, his colleagues just wouldn't shut up about it. It had been nerve wrecking and utterly embarrassing afterward. Not that his colleagues were bad or something, no they were usually really fun, although a bit annoying sometimes. Alright, most of the time.

Though it was as if everybody always carried a certain shield that kept the rest from getting closer. Last names were a no-go, and most people wouldn't even talk about their personal life if their life depended on it, for the fear of future turn-coats, or because they took the code too serious.

The code, the rules, the philosophy….

Some people took them too seriously. Sadly, he was often one of them, and he knew it.

But wasn't that just a part of who he was? Not a part of himself that he had to accept? He had accepted that, although forcefully, but he acted on it nevertheless. In just a few hours…

But first things first; sleep. He entered his bedroom soundlessly through the ever opened window, and didn't bother undressing before letting himself fall on his bed, sleep taking away his train of thoughts in less than a second.

Which was about as long as he got to sleep.

"GET OUT OF YOUR BED AT ONCE!" The 'graceful' and utterly 'gentle' voice of Nara Yoshino boomed through the house. Her son simply opened his eyes and signed. He was used to it, yet the lack of sleep was nothing but ... Troublesome. How his father could keep going with his missions as head-jounin, was still a mystery to him, although he suspected it had something to do with alcohol. "Coming" he muttered, and got dressed. Luckily he didn't have to eat, since Tenzou always liked to be over prepared and stocked enough food for an army for each mission.

Even a simple guard duty.

Today was a troublesome, dreaded day, but it was not inevitable, which made it even worse. He actually had chosen for it himself. Or rather, he was going to.

His musings were disturbed by his mother, again.

"DO I HAVE TO GET YOU?"

"No mom, I'm leaving right now" He signed, checked his gear and left through the window, not even bothering to say goodbye to her anymore. He wasn't in the mood for a lecture today, he needed all his guts to do this.

The walk to the Hokage tower was short for those who knew how to get there fast. And Shikamaru was one of those, but despite all his knowledge, his nerves slowed him down. He needed to look serious, and certain of his cause.

He was running, slowly, through the underground maze, which he knew by the back of his hand. And it wasn't the only thing he knew.

The training had been hard, and life as an ANBU would be way too troublesome. It messed with his life plans and made him ache for rest. At first he had felt homesick, longing not only for his own bed, but also for his kind teacher, instead of the strict Tenzou-sensei, who demanded respect before he would joke along. Sure, the man wasn't half as scary as he wanted to be, but in the beginning he had been intimidated. Where Asuma would have told him to 'try again someday', Tenzou would curse and show him exactly what would happen if he would mess up in a real fight, and then demand him to go on.

At first, everything was curses, beatings, studying, but they soon became like air and he decided he liked it. Not the pain, or the soreness in the end of the day, but the training. The sparring, the blunted practice weapons hitting his skin and making his body soar from adrenaline even the herb lore.

Within a few months, Shikamaru stopped complaining for real, and he was allowed to go home more often as a reward. Within the same month, he realized that he was talented. It wasn't obvious to him, and if he hadn't been so keyed in to his sensei's every mood and reaction, he would never have noticed, but now and then, he'd see a faint look of surprise as he mastered some new skill more quickly than either of them had expected.

He was nearing the staircase leading him directly to the basement of the Hokage tower. He could already see the faint light that was coming from the opening. He let his hand go over a kunai that was hidden underneath his baggy pants, a nervous habit. He could pull it out in one swift motion and cut whoever was before him up even before the person had seen it was there. It was a short thin blade, and he kept touching it through the cloth as he walked up the stairs.

The weapon had suffered some damage over its many years, and he knew that blood had collected in the scratches. He knew there would be more scratches in it, no matter if he would back out right now, or continue and make that _choice_.

_/We don't get to choose our choices, we only get to make them, if we are lucky./_

He kept walking, until there was only one last obstacle before him. He opened the door and was greeted by a very sleepy Hokage.

"Shikamaru…what a surprise…" Tsunade said when he entered her office. "Tell me, what's the matter, it is unlike you to come into my office this early, but on the other hand, It's unlike me as well." She chuckled guilty, but was quieted by the ever present Shizune's glare.

Shikamaru chuckled slightly as well, though it came out a lot more nervous than he would have wanted. He straightened his face, and got to the point before they would be discussing the pros and cons of having a baby deer as pet, like last time.

"Tsunade-sama, I wish to quit my services as a shinobi." He formulated neatly. Ignoring the way his Hokage almost choked on her drink, he continued. "I'm not planning on becoming Head-jounin, like my father, Hokage-sama, or even a normal shinobi."

"With your permission, I wish to become a full time member of the ANBU."

Tsunade stared. And stared some more. Altogether it was pretty unnerving. She then turned to her assistant with a strange smile, and looked back at him.

"Oh, so I don't have to tell him his son is succeeding him tomorrow?" She chuckled. "He'll find that very 'troublesome'"

Shikamaru just stared some more, eyebrow raised defiantly. "I'm serious, Tsunade-sama"

A few more seconds of looking at the suddenly determined eyes of the youngster seemed to verify that statement. Tsunade sighed and tore her eyes away from his, turning to her assistant.

"Shizune, the time has come. Please inform Neko-san." Tsunade said, and with that, Shizune disappeared.

She sat back in her chair and pulled some Sake out of her secret stash, took a sip out of the bottle and sighed.

"I'm sorry Shikamaru." She apologized after another sip, and motioned him to sit down as well. "It's just… I never expected you of all people to ask for work. But you deserve it. You'll be one of the best of your ninja in your generation. Give it a few years and you'll be able to help my cute little loudmouth of a successor with his paperwork and council meetings. God knows he needs it."

Shikamaru just smiled at the thought of Naruto as a Hokage. He sure was on his way, getting stronger day by day. He wasn't that loud anymore, though he and his teammates still had their childish moments of loudness. But hey, they were still children theoretically speaking.

However, childhood ignorance could be fatal in an encounter with the Council, from what he had heard of his father and Tsunade. And if it was one thing that he had lost many years ago, then it was childhood ignorance.

When Tsunade pulled him out of his musings again, he mentally noted to stop dazing so much.

"But why come this morning? Can't you see I already have too much work to do? It's a good thing I figured out how to bypass on the parental agreement section in the contract for underage ANBU members." She added with a stern look.

"Since you're not an orphan, I can't give you legal permission as your superior. And neither will your parents ever do." She started after taking another sip from the bottle. Shikamaru wasn't interested at all at the bottle, but more at the solution the Hokage had supposedly found.

"But," She continued, bringing him back from his ponderings. "Nidaime's Fourth law book , section 7 'Internal minor ninja', number 116, states that a child above 14 can gain permission from the Hokage to increase in rank if national secrecy doesn't allow his or her parents to be informed. And trust me; Be happy that you are not the first person to have this kind of problem, because if I would've had to go through all those law books this early, you would have to accompany me."

She took another sip, and Shikamaru fidgeted slightly on his chair before she broke the uncomfortable silence again:  
"Because you decided to quit, I'm going to have to make a new file for you. From now on, you will have two official files. I shall refer to them as your black and white file. The white one is the official and publicly accessible by the council. The black one isn't until you're no longer a minor. You have to fill the new one in, though."

"Sure." He said, and started scribbling down the information. "Registration number, 012611. Name, Nara Shikamaru" He muttered out loud, and worked his way down to the end of the list. When he was done, he handed hit to Tsunade.

"Alright my dear Raiu, move on to the next part: The Code." She said, mockingly emphasizing the last two words.

Shikamaru snorted, but curiously asked:

**"Raiu?"**

"You leave us all in the dark of what happens in that mind of yours, and then suddenly you come to my office and demand to become a full-time member." She added a meaningful glance to it and obviously had to keep herself from snickering a little. "We'll use it as your code name, it will be easier for you to remember, and a lot less predictable than something like 'deer', since all previous Naras in ANBU were called that way, and no Nara is supposed to be in ANBU at the moment." If little Shikaku only knew how many secret things his lazy son was doing behind his back at the moment, he would break the kid's back immediately. And even more importantly to the woman; hers as well.

She filed the documents and pulled the pile on her desk towards her, and picked a few seemingly random papers out of it, but apparently exactly those she needed. The new ANBU couldn't help but 'marvel' at her great 'skill', but his snickering died after she took another sip of sake in the most intimidating fashion ever, and motioned Shikamaru to come closer so he could read the papers.

"This," She said while pointing her finger at the paper in a violent way that was kinda scary, "is your contract. It explains the rules, restriction, privileges and boundaries."

"As you might have figured out by now, ANBU isn't just a profession, it's also a philosophy." She continued while the men nodded. "You probably already know this, but I have to go over this so you officially know what you can expect and so you can never sue the country. And don't look at me like that; it happened before in Konoha history-"

She was interrupted by a familiar voice. In the windowsill stood two masked ANBU, undoubtly smiling from ear to ear under that cat mask of his.

"Sorry we're late. Did I miss something?" The man said good-naturedly.

"Only the eight world wonder." She said mockingly in her turn, welcoming Tenzou into the room along with the other man who he knew as the commander of the ANBU. A nice man, but very business orientated. He wasn't here without a reason. Shikamaru also noted absentmindedly that Shizune still hadn't settled in the back of the room without another word, but not before Tsunade handed the commander the file.

From now on, you will be a part of ANBU, and therefore their subordinate as well as their responsibility." She said, her back still turned to him.

The man took the file and removed his mask. His weathered features, softened slightly before he started the procedure.

"Before you answer any question, I want you to know three things." He said in a stern, yet not angry voice. It was rather comforting, actually. "Firstly; don't make a vow when you are not going to keep it. Secondly; If you quit, you can't tell anybody about anything what you were taught here. Nor can you ever use secret ANBU techniques again."

"But, if you decide to stay, you will have to deal some more complicated missions. You will be working on your own more, and less with your sensei. But I think you fully understand what comes with being an ANBU." The man added with a proud voice. Ever since he'd been on his team for a mission once, he wouldn't stop talking about 'how much potential the boy had' and 'what a great sense of humor he had' during the many traditional celebrations. Tenzou complained about the headache it gave him every chance he got. Shikamaru smiled a little bit easier than he did before.

"I do."

The air of seriousness had yet to fade, but at least he didn't feel as forced anymore as he felt when he first had been summoned by the Hokage, nearly 3 years ago.

"You will now officially be a permanent member of the Konoha, the Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai; the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad. As the name says, you will have to perform assassinations in name of Konoha or the Hokage. Do you accept this duty?" He read out loud from the paper, and ended his question with a meaningful glance.

The following second was seemed an eternity for each of them. Shikamaru remembered his first kill, and his second, third, his tenth, all of them. Nineteen people, twelve missions, two years. The pain at first, and the void later on. Like the eyes of his objective. But they were entering a new age of war, everything pointed in that direction, and Shikamaru had a long time ago accepted his place in that world.

A non-hesitant reply followed the next second, as the entire reasoning behind it was opened and closed in a mere second.  
"I accept."

"As the name states," The commander continued after the longest second in a year. "You have the duty to give your counsel to the Hokage and the village when the situation asks for it. Do you accept this duty?"

Knowing well enough that he wouldn't get much sleep after agreeing, he replied a lazy. "Yes", as if to enjoy his last moments of relaxation. His sensei just groaned while Tsunade smirked devilishly.

"As an ANBU, you are under direct control of the Hokage. Do you swear loyalty to the Hokage?" He said, and Shikamaru noted the wicked smile on her face.

"I do" He said, but was a little bit uneasy at seeing her face.

"As a member of the ANBU, you are also responsible for tracking, carrying out surveillance, and missions requiring specially trained ninja. Do you accept?" They continued.

"Yes, I do." He already knew that, and he also knew what was up next.

"You have to keep yourself to the ANBU code at all times, even if you decide to quit at some point. Do you accept this duty?" The commander read without even bothering to listen to his answer before signing the section.

"Yes, I accept each and every condition." Shikamaru said, just a second before his superior was going to name them all, and saved him a lot of work in the process. He merely nodded and scribbled and signed down a few more sections which covered over six pages.

"Last but not least, as an ANBU you are loyal to the Hokage and the village, in that order. Do you understand and accept?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Shikamaru asked her.

"Nara Shikamaru was nobody, a genin that was too lazy to become anything. You are about to become Raiu, an ANBU, and one hell of at that. I won't lie to you, you became an ANBU for the sake of this village, but most of all for me." Tsunade said.

"I am sure that you know of Danzou's activities." Tenzou said, looking resentful, "You were always more than an apprentice. If you weren't, I would have given up on you somewhere between your complaints and your annoying questions. But you had the potential to become one of our greatest assets. Don't get me wrong Shikamaru, you truly grew on me, but we need you to be more than an ANBU, Shikamaru, we need you to be an ally. Are you ready for that?"

He just nodded this time, but didn't speak his mind.

Then Tsunade suddenly sighed extremely loudly and opened another bottle of sake. Tenzou laughed a softly from the back of the room and explained everything when he saw Shikamaru's confused expression.

"Just 2 years ago, after your graduation, I made a bet with Tsunade that you would one day come to one of us and tell them that you wanted to become a full-time member, voluntarily."

"And of course I lost." Tsunade chimed in.

"However," His sensei continued, eyes shimmering meaningfully. "I never expected you to accept it so fast."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at that statement, and Tenzou chuckled some more. "You've been on missions that require one to be a full-fledged ANBU, but you never took anything serious. Even when we sparred it took always a few days before you actually did what I asked you to do. It has become better, much better, and even if you complained you always did what I asked you flawlessly after it, irritatingly enough, but you your immaturity..." He sighed, shaking his head.

"But…" Tsunade said, looking at him thoughtfully. "I see that your immaturity is rapidly fading, and so I can't say that I am sad that I lost this bet." She looked a little bit sentimental, but Shikamaru tried to ignore it, it was embarrassing.

"Alright, you need a mask." She continued, earning herself a confused look from the newly appointed ANBU.

"But I already have one." He said, handing her his mask, which represented a cat.

"No, that is your unofficial 'kitten' mask."

At this, Shikamaru send his teacher a death glare which could almost be compared to an Uchiha's, and said man just started grinning stupidly. Tsunade got it as well. "Did Tenzo never tell you that it marks you as his apprentice?"

"No.." He grunted.

"Anyway, you'll get a new one. I would have had it ready before, but you and your unexpected show of motivation… Come back at noon and I'll have it ready." The woman said, now clearly amused.

"Thanks, Tsunade-sama" Shikamaru nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm awesome and you should be thankful for all the trouble I go through for you." She said jokingly, but slightly tipsy already, Shikamaru noted. It wasn't the best start of the morning, but hey, the woman was an experienced drinker and an elite medic nin, so he didn't care all that much.

He walked out of the room, but Tenzou held him back just before he left the room.

"Come with me." He said. "I'm sure you know what comes next."

Shikamaru smiled back at the man. Tenzou was proud of him. Shikamaru could read it in his teachers body language. They'd had a long road behind them. There had been times that he wanted to quit, but there was no quitting. There had been times when he hated the man whom he now called his teacher, but also times when he would and did put his life on the line to serve or save Tenzou. He had whined, complained, ignored orders, but as much as he tried to defy fate, he stood no chance.

This was the same man that had beaten him to the ground time and again, the man that had introduced him into the wonders of cheap wine and had made him be wary of trees for the rest of his life.

He smiled back, and nodded. He knew what was next, he had known for a long time now.

_/__ The fight was over, and so was the rush of adrenaline that had kept him from seeing the blood, the horror. He instantly dropped his sword, and felt his knees go weak. A boy, not much younger than him, stared at him with lifeless eyes, and Shikamaru stared back, willing the boy to blink. There were more corpses than he had ever seen before in his short life, the blood leaking from their broken bodies onto the ground, coloring the world red. _

_His eyes went back to where the boy had lain, only to find out that he was being moved to a pile of bodies just a little bit ahead of him. Tenzou was already cleaning up the evidences of the slaughter. 9 lives had been lost. No, not lost. Taken. And he knew: he knew the eyes of that boy. He brought his shaking hands to the boys face, and closed his eyelids gently. He seemed much more peaceful then his friends were, all together on one pile. _

_He had no idea how he had just walked to the pile of bodies, but he did feel Tenzou, his sensei, his guide in this world of blood and torn limbs, pull him away from the victims. His victims._

_He felt almost nothing for them, yet at the same time he felt so much raging to him. He had been trained to do this. He knew how to do this, he was even talented. Killing, it was just as much an action as walking was. Even back in the academy, they had been taught that killing wasn't per sé a bad thing, if you do it to save yourself, your colleagues or your village. It was, you know, just as obvious, as common as they made it seem, as walking._

_But he was walking with difficulty right now. He didn't feel justified, guilty, or even regretful. He had fought, like he had been taught to, there was nothing wrong with fighting. Only he felt the sting of emptiness howling through his body, eating in his stomach._

_He hadn't felt, and still didn't feel anything close to regret. It scared him, because something, something deep down, screamed that maybe taking a life was not a natural thing to do. But he wasn't sure._

_"I don't think I like what I'm becoming." He muttered softly to his teacher. Tenzou's pace didn't falter, and for a while he heard nothing but the faint echo of their footsteps and the sounds of the forest. It still seemed to silent._

"_Such is life." Was all that his teacher said after they were far away from the rapidly worsening stench from the corpse pile. Shikamaru was quite sure that they would either be blown up or burned, but he didn't care for their broken remains at the moment. His teacher didn't even seem bothered with the fact that the three of them had just slaughtered, killed, murdered 9 or 10 young aspiring ninjas. _

"_We don't always have a choice." Tenzou continued, and guided him to rest his shaky legs and sit down on the grass. "We fight for our village, for our loved ones. We don't get to choose the choices we have to make, no matter how much we want to. We, the ANBU, are murderers. We take lives."_

"_It doesn't bother you?" Shikamaru asked, fixing his gaze on his mentors face, trying to read the man without any success._

"_Slightly, but I know what I have to do for my village. This-" He said, pointing at the scenery, the woods, the grass, the wind. "-this peace, this quiet. For my home to still be standing if I return home. Killing isn't so bad anymore. It is a part of my life."_

_Shikamaru frowned. "I didn't choose to become like this. I do not crave to kill every kind of protest in order to save the regime of the village."_

"_You sound so bitter, but then again, this was only your second kill, wasn't it?" Tenzou said, as if it explained everything. Shikamaru was not content that his mentor wrote his opinion of as childish and invalid, but didn't protest any further. _

"_Don't frown so much, my dear apprentice." Tenzou joked half-heartedly after seeing the face he made. "Do you know why we are called the land of fire?"_

"_Because our everlasting preaching about the burning will of fire we are supposed to posses?" Shikamaru said, still bitter and not even looking his teacher in the eye. _

"_No, the speeches didn't even exist before the Sandaime's reign. He and the Yondaime loved them, but the other Hokages didn't really make speeches like the third and his successors. They lived in an age of war, talking was equal to wasting time and lives." Tenzou said, chuckling slightly and infuriating Shikamaru even more. "Our homeland is called the land of fire not because of the people who lived inside of it, but because of those outside of it."_

"_Many years ago, during the First Great War, people didn't talk things out like what we do today. Clans fought against each other to death, hired by different groups of people who either craved power or freedom, or a mix of those two. One of those groups was very adept in fire jutsu, but they weren't shinobi. Instead, they hired a clan to fight for them against a group that abode in the east. They lived in a peaceful village in the middle of a landscape of woods."_

"_The very same forest you see before you today." Tenzou said, gaining Shikamaru's attention a little bit more. "They didn't have clans at their side. They didn't even have political influence in the world. But they had land, a land that bore more fruits than any other land in the world. They had potential to become extremely powerful. And so the fire group wanted to have the land. So they hired one of the strongest clans to destroy the population. However, after seeing the peaceful way of living and the beauty of the village they were supposed to destroy, the Uchiha decided to side with the villagers instead and started to live there."_

_Tenzou paused for a second. "Of course, the fire group was not pleased at all, and in revenge they decided that if they couldn't have the land, nobody else would, so they used all their untrained power to create an enormous fire that lit up the entire woods of the country in days. Everything was on fire, the trees, the houses, the men… It is said to be the most scarring event in the history of our country for the survivors, edged into the soul of every descendant of the land of the great fire. But that wasn't after __the Senju and the Uchiha, both blamed for the destruction and the fires__that rapidly spread, had to form an alliance. The Uchiha stopped the fire and the Senju rebuild the forest. After that, the alliance was kept, and our village was formed."_

"_To stop the fire, the Uchiha clan had to learn how to control fire, they had to become masters in Kanton Jutsu, their eyes becoming red like the flames they watched every second of their lives. They became like the fire, fierce and powerful, so they could stop it. The Senju mastered the ability to create wood, and controlled water like no other, to rebuild the forest. The Hyuuga's eyes became sharp to see the fire and the wind change direction, so they could warn the rest. The Inuzuka's senses became sharp to find the survivors underneath the ruins. And the Naras held the shadows of the flames, to keep the fires from spreading, until they didn't have the chakra to keep the justu up."_

_Tenzou's hand suddenly found his shoulder and Shikamaru looked up. He had been so engrossed into the story that he hadn't noticed that the man had moved. "Normal people, who had lived in that little village in the woods for many years developed their talents to safe something that was beyond all hope. And they succeeded. Now we have to follow their example."_

_Shikamaru nodded. "How come I have never found this story back in the history books?"_

"_Because it favors the Uchiha over the Senju, who took power over the village that was rebuild from the ashes. And of course, the Senju didn't like that, so they rewrote history to make it seem like that they initiated the contact, the alliance that founded Konoha, and were not forced to do it because of the pressure of the outside world."_

"_Then how do you know it?" Shikamaru inquired, erasing another pair of blue eyes from his mind. __"__If it was censored, that is."_

"_Boy, I am old and experienced.__ A true ninja can always find the truth no matter how hidden it is. For instance, the fire nation became a powerful political influence. The original land of fire was much smaller than it was today. After many wars, we have conquered many nations, however, the academy would like to make us belief that it was originally our home, while most of the inhabitants of this country are immigrants, even the 'founding clans' of Konoha." Tenzou sat down next to him and Shikamaru wanted to speak, but Tenzou silenced him with his hand, it rested on his shoulder once more, and it squeezed it gently. Shikamaru welcomed the sensation in favor of feeling numb. "One of the few original inhabitants of that small village which ruins still lie beneath ours, is your clan."_

"_I figured as much." Shikamaru said, struggling for his words. "But that does not mean.. I m-.. It's not the same." _

"_Of course not, Shikamaru. But it is a change all the same. And sadly, it doesn't always matter if we are willing to make it." Tenzou said, looking him in the eyes almost nostalgically. It made him shiver unpleasantly, those eyes where too dark. "I was not created by parents, but created to be able to create wood. It was not my choice, but it is now a part of I am. I can kill other's incredibly well, just like you can shadow someone like no other. It's in our blood."_

"_But what if it changes… me?"_

"_Do you want me to lie to you and tell you that it won't?" Tenzou said, almost harshly. "I will show you no pity, nor will the world. You are already changing, your nature, your soul, it isn't the same as when you started a year ago. So live with it."_

_Shikamaru let his head fall into his hands, and took a few moments to get his act together, his eyes closing against the burn of tears. It burned, like fire going through his blood. Shikamaru let it ebb away, while remembering the previous numbness. _

_He felt like being broken and trapped, but at the same time he could hear the many sounds of the woods. They were wonderful indeed. So peaceful. He looked up to his mentor a few moments later, only to find out that he had already lost the man's interest. Instead, the man looked as if the sky above him was the most precious thing in the world, peaceful and clear. _

_Shikamaru hoped he would ever regain a state of mind like that, but he doubted it. Instead he stood up and walked back to pile of corpses, that was already burning. He smelt fire, and death. It was familiar, somehow. Shikamaru knelt down besides the other ANBU that was guarding the fire, and whispered a few words._

"_Kage Mane No Jutsu."_

_His eyes focused on the flames as he willed them to still. He smirked bitterly. Maybe he possessed that will of fire somehow, but in a more literal form than the idealistic propaganda of the Third Great War. _

_Something inside of him whispered that maybe there wasn't such a thing as 'becoming' something at all. Maybe it had been buried inside of them all, even inside of those rotting, burning corpses. He quickly pushed the thought away. _

_Time was running out./_

_-end Chapter 2_

**So, some action! I hope you liked the training scene. I have to admit, it was hard to write. The second memory was a lot easier though. I'm a horrible history freak, will abuse it a lot more from now on.**

**This Chapter has a few major plot points. I hope you will remember most of them, but because some small little things about the ANBU will become huge in the later chapters. Some already saw the mask plot point evolve into romance. So please, pay attention!**

**(And if you really don't get it, I'll underline the major plot points for you. Just PM me and I'll send you the masterfile.)**

**Also, thanks to obsidian fire. You are a loyal reader, and I appreciate your offer. If it happens again, I'll contact you immediately**

**Also, Only those who reviewed last chapter; love you. Sorry this wasn't added fast, but you know why.**


	3. Blood and Bones

_Yay, fast update! You may now all worship me, and my vacation. I will be leaving in a few days, but the 4th chapter is already with the beta. I'll have it up before I leave. But beware guys, the rewrite turned out to be slightly different from the original. Complaints are welcomed._

_So please flame me, otherwise I can't learn anything from this. _

_I never told you guys why I write, did I? Well, I suck at every possible language, so writing out my overactive imagination is my way of learning. It's original, unorthodox but I could also be writing porn, so I never heard anybody complain. XD_

_Now, onwards! To mail... I mean Fiction! (Legend of Zelda reference FTW)_

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Insight: Tenzou  
- Who am I to say...

When Tsunade said congratulations, Tenzou just kept quiet and smiled. He knows it is not the correct sentiment, unless Shikamaru wants to be congratulated for the amount of people he would kill. But she is Hokage, and though she wants to protect him, he knows she doesn't understand the definition of ANBU: Dark side. It is nowhere near black, instead covered in the dark red liquid that most shinobi have tried and failed to wash out of their clothes and burn out of their minds. But she doesn't see the blood or hears the screams that he and his pupil will remember, she only sees the missions; completed or not is important, and the causalities that effect the village.

It isn't strange that the ANBU are covered up. After all, who would sleep well if they knew that their highest ranked protectors are killing people for the greater good? Who would sleep well every night if they would remember the numb feeling of a twentieth kill, or even worse, the feeling when they have realized they just lost another piece of their humanity? Who would want to climb the ranks if they knew that the elite were a bunch of killers, not only of the village's enemies, but also of themselves?

No, congratulating someone for going into ANBU is not something you do if you know what kind of training they had to withstand, or what kind of sight they would have to behold in the future.

One says "Well done, Shikamaru." And he sees his pupil smile, knowing he didn't talk about the kills he made or the missions he completed to get there, but the ANBU philosophy:

Well done for protecting all those people, for making the necessary losses as painless as possible, for coming back and do it all again, for being selfless, for your loyalty.

No, a true ANBU wasn't a master in hiding or killing, it was person who could execute a mission without losing himself or his believes, even if he would have to act against them. Not emotionless, but mercy was a trait of an ANBU, being as quiet as possible to make sure nobody would notice your presence and would have to be killed because of that. Being as quick as possible so each life taken would be as painless as possible.

Why would one become an ANBU? Why die for a village as a nameless ghost when you would never be recognized for the great deeds you did for them?

He watched his latest pupil, knowing he would do good. He had answered all these questions without them even being asked by him. After all, in the future he would have to figure everything out by himself as well, so asking questions was not a part of the ANBU training.

Even if he knew the hand he was now shaking would take many lives in the future, he couldn't help but feel proud. Proud for the fact he thought him to take those lives maybe, but still proud that this boy would protect the village one way or another, but keep his sanity in the progress.

Yes, an ANBU wouldn't congratulate one on joining the ranks, but welcome them with open arms nonetheless. After all, nobody except for them would know the feeling. The horror _and _the excitement.

He loved it. But God knew they were a bunch of masochists confused for sadists. Maybe it was best they kept lying low, otherwise nobody would ever join them again, and he could never get his retirement!

"Follow me, Shikamaru. You know what comes next."

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-Chapter 3: Blood and Bones

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Feeling the newly gained tattoo still burn into his skin, Shikamaru reminded himself that this was ANBU, not the Chuunin brigade. There were no delays, no early celebrations and no time was wasted. Ever. And that was how he ended up in the HQ not even two hours after being officially accepted into their ranks.

'_Efficiency, secrecy, success.'_

He should have known that he would be busy from now on. Only two hours ago he had gained his new mask and tattoo, no a seal, had been inked into his arm for all eternity. He had always wondered why a group focused on secrecy would mark their members for the world to see. The tattoo was well known. He stroked the swirls absentmindedly while he listened to his chief, who was already assigning him to a new mission after Tenzou had left the room to go scare some innocent children by growing trees out of the nowhere.

The captain commander, ever the intimidating figure, somehow made it possible to make reading a mission scroll look threatening. While smiling. "Your objective is Gorgani Estaboli, a merchant you might have heard of. The word of his wealth has spread across the nations, even though the man lives in Wave."

"I have." Shikamaru said as an affirmation. "However, since when does the Hokage let us deal with civilians?"

"Usually not." The man said, not looking up from the scroll. Shikamaru that a man with scars and muscles like that seemed awfully out of place behind a desk. "However, the last team that was send to kill him disappeared without a trace. And the man is the former right hand of the notorious Gato. That's suspicious enough for the Hokage to send an ANBU, don't you agree?"

Shikamaru nodded, and the man continued.

"Good, then you'll know that he and his palace will be heavily guarded. Sneak in, make the kill, bring back his head." His commander said, not once his eyes returned to the mission scroll. "Avoid causalities, and keep you identity a secret."

"Time limit?" Shikamaru asked. "And who is going to accompany me?"

The man looked up for a second, and smiled with that stupid, 'I'm still a kid on the inside'-smile of his. "Why, Shikamaru? Did you not just write history and surprised us all by offering your services? You won't need a guard anymore if you're on our side. You amuse me, you might even ask the reason for the mission one day. And be back in a week. The kill itself shouldn't take more than an hour or two, so you'll have three days to get there and three days to come back. "

Shikamaru gulped. The man liked screwing with him, or subordinates in general, but he still didn't like the implication. Or the fact that he would actually have to hurry. "Yes sir." He added quickly.

"Good boy." The man said, a good natured smile plastered on his face while he finished up the document. When he was done he beckoned Shikamaru to come closer and handed him the document. "Now, in this scroll is all you need to know. Return it to me when you're done in seven days from now. Understood?"

Shikamaru nodded and took the scroll. He had seen his teacher do this a thousand times before, and he had done it before as well under the watchful eyes of his 'guards'.

Before hurrying himself through the woods to the sea he would have to cross, he made his way to his assigned room. The place was still as small as ever, but the floor was littered with all kinds of weapons and clothes. Shikamaru was not really a fan of cleaning after all, deeming it too troublesome, and if he mother wouldn't nag him to do something about it, he would just let it pile.

However, there was more than a mess in his room. His teacher was also sitting on his bed, not minding the way Shikamaru treated his possessions. His room wasn't much different of course, and Tenzou wasn't always a hypocrite. Only when he could bother Shikamaru.

Shikamaru didn't bother to seem surprised, because he wasn't. Instead he continued preparing himself. "Done with scaring innocent little children?"

"Hardly innocent if they are playing 'kill the cat' with a kunai. God knows academy students shouldn't be allowed to have weapons. But to answer your question, no I haven't even started yet." The man said, not denying the accusation for a second.

"Figures." Shikamaru said, but didn't bother to sit down next to him. Instead he picked some shuriken up from the ground and stored them in his holster. He then opened the small closet and took a few more carefully stored explosive tags out of it. "But why are you still here bugging me when you could bug them? I'm not that interesting."

Suddenly he felt something point in his back, and he sighed before twisting around to confirm his suspicions. And he was right. Somehow his teacher had managed to make some wood pop up from the ground, through the floor, and make the wooden tentacle point him in the back. He gave an unimpressed look at his teacher, who was still sitting on his bed with a shit eating grin on his face. "How many times do I have to tell you? Wood is not scary, not even when it pops up randomly. That's just weird undergrowth."

Tenzou looked slightly hurt, but it didn't take long before he was smiling that stupid grin of his again. "Look underneath the underneath, my mocking apprentice."

And Shikamaru did, and saw that a second 'tentacle' popped up from the floor, holding something. Well, not just something. He took it with wide eyes, not knowing what to say. It was… perfect. Of course, he had already known it would be an Owl, but he was still slightly stunned by the beautiful design, perfect in simplicity. It's big eyes contrasted his own sharp ones perfectly, and the few lines made it so different from his own face. He figured it fit his ANBU personality. It was perfectly symmetric, except on the left side. Different than it had been with his previous kitten mask, this one bore the kanji for his code name.

"You like it?" Tenzou said, laughing uneasily after an uncomfortable silence. "You better do, because it took me quite some effort to get that done in just a few hours."

Shikamaru ripped his eyes of the mask. "You had this made for me just now?"

"No, I always had it somewhere, waiting for the moment when you would realize what had been in front of you all along." Tenzou said, awkwardly admitting his trust in his pupil. Shikamaru's eyes had yet to return to their original size. "I just never imagined that you would realize it this soon. For a genius, you can be awfully slow sometimes. So as a surprise, I had that burned into the mask."

"I… uh… Thanks." Shikamaru muttered thankfully.

"Don't mention it." Tenzou waved it away and stood up from his previous position on the bed to leave before the situation got to awkward. "But seriously, don't mention it. You know the rules! And good luck with the mission" He said just before he closed the door.

Shikamaru nodded absentmindedly, his eyes back to the mask in his hands. _His_ mask. It felt strange that something that hid him from the world could feel so important to him, though Tenzou's words had also added up to that feeling.

He let his hair down and took a relatively clean ANBU uniform off the ground and slipped it on, his eyes not leaving the mask any second longer than needed. It felt unreal, that this mask was his future. Not necessarily in a bad way though. In a split second he cast a simple jutsu that would cover up his smell, and he suppressed his chakra levels to a minimum level.

The ability to completely hide all your emotions was called a sign of a true shinobi, but being an ANBU asked you to take it to another level. When he slipped on his mask, he felt the familiar sensation of erasing himself coming over him. Together with the all the jutsu to keep every trace of identity behind, preparing for a mission was like creating a new personality.

Or not? He always felt a completely different person when he slipped on the mask, and he couldn't look at the world the same way somehow. He knew he would be able to cross Asuma, or even his parents on the street, and they wouldn't even recognize him.

Maybe it was because of routine: the fact he straitened his back when he walked in ANBU gear, the way his pace wasn't personal nor his face could be remembered. He didn't even need to think about unsealing his katana from the scroll on the wall, he didn't need to think when he put up the techniques that covered his identity. He had done it over a dozen times before, that it had become just that: a routine, an alternate way of acting that hid him in plain sight even better than the mask.

When the last click of his katana being stored on his back woke him from his slumber, he didn't waste another second. He made his way out of the underground headquarters, into another part of the underground maze that had once been a city like Konoha. He had memorized the pathways quite some time ago, so it didn't take long until he reached his own secret 'chamber' It was small passage leading to a dried well. The room was just big enough for him to stand in, but it didn't need to be bigger because the only thing it actually contained was a small black marking, not bigger than a ryuu, on the wall.

With a quick bite in his thumb, he drew blood and smeared it on the seal, unsealing it in the progress. Out of the wall came a box and a few scrolls, in which Shikamaru hid everything that he couldn't store at home with his parents or didn't fit in the small room in the head quarters. The box was empty, but that was the point of it. Inside of it he hid his clothes and hitai-ate. Then he sealed it up again and left his tiny storage room.

Another secret of the ANBU: the tattoo. It wasn't a tattoo, actually. Every seal master would be able to recognize it as a very strong storage seal. In Shikamaru's case, it held some of his basic weaponry and clothing, including many files he had written on his previous objectives and some basic literature like the Bingo book. Things that could never be found by an enemy, or even most allies.

Abandoning all thoughts and all traces, he prepared himself to make his way out of the city without being seen. Konoha had a keen protection system, but it was not foolproof. In reality, one of the final test before becoming an active ANBU was leaving the village without being seen. Apparently, not even the guards could be trusted with the information of who entered and left the village, even if it was for said place's own good.

He recalled the first time he had to do it. It was never really said you had to find a way to bypass the system, it was something you had to read between the lines, something an ANBU should be able to do. And reading between the lines was one of his specialties, though his sensei used to call him 'a healthy paranoid' whenever he would voice one of his deductions. _Tsk, the hypocrite._

So, how does one bypass the system without killing off the guards in the process?

Lesson one: Think before you act, and apply your knowledge. Before you even planed an escape out of Konoha, you had to know that the village was not only protected by walls, but also by a barrier which was chakra responsive and surrounded the village completely: including the underground system. And then there is the underground 'village', an endless maze stretching underneath Konoha 'nobody' knew about. Not even ANBU. Officially, at least. In reality, it was rare to find an ANBU who wouldn't have traumatic memories of a orientation test in said maze.

Lesson two: Don't try too hard. One thing that came totally natural to Shikamaru. Don't go launching massive teleportation jutsu, because half the amount of chakra you would need to get into the village without the barrier picking it up would kill a seasoned elite jounin. Keep it easy, fast and simple.

A genius' solution: steal a map and memorize the right path, use the underground to get underneath the wall but not behind the barrier, and than simply completely stop your chakra flow the few seconds you go through the barrier. According to Tenzou, it had been the 'easiest' way of getting out ever made up by an aspiring ANBU, which was another way of saying that Shikamaru's laziness had finally paid off. That didn't keep him from using it himself.

_Tsk, hypocrite. _He thought while slipping through the maze without making a sound or leaving a trace.

When he was outside the barrier, he took off. The journey was boring and lonely, and the scenery variated between large trees and smaller ones. He let his mind wander to something, or rather someone else connected to the woods.

"_An ANBU'S mask hides more than a face and represents more than an occupation," Tenzou said to a 13-year-old Shikamaru in one of their few lectures. Some knowledge was either too common or too sensitive to be written down, so they had to be passed over to new members verbally._

_Shikamaru wasn't really interested._

"_Hey, pay attention lazy boy!" Tenzou suddenly said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "I'm taking an effort to explain something to you, and you go counting mental clouds! Don't make me punish you with my fearsome wood skills!"_

"_you mean you are going to try to scare me again by letting trees pop up randomly in front of me? That's not scary at all. And I was totally paying attention."_

_Tenzou gave him a dubious look. "With your eyes closed?"He said knowingly._

"_Yes, I'm awesome like that." Shikamaru replied mockingly._

"_Anyway, my most 'awesome' apprentice, as I was saying. The mask is also the only personal thing, together with the tattoo on your right or left shoulder, which shows your gender." Tenzou said while looking him in the eye to make sure that he wouldn't close them again. The man still wouldn't believe that this was how he had spend his academy days._

"_The mask is made out of a special kind of porcelain which doesn't break and doesn't absorbs any liquid after the top layer is applied. They are smooth, yet light, although you can't pinpoint the sensation of wearing one until you've done so." He continued, tapping on his own hanging on the side of his face. "However, I can't let you wear mine because that's prohibited. The masks are made by 'the mask maker', and his rules are rather strict."_

_Shikamaru's eyes sparkled in curiosity for a bit. "The mask maker? Not the most original of names. Is his identity a secret?"_

"_As a matter of fact, not only his identity is a secret, but The materials used to make them are a secret, like many other things in the world of shinobi, and entrusted to one person only. That person's life revolves around those facts, that secrecy; it is what makes his very existence." He told Shikamaru and finally had his undivided attention and devotion. "He lives to cake his hands in white dust and carve the faces of animals from the forbidden substance."_

"_The forbidden substance?" Shikamaru's mind started to wander while Tenzou kept talking about common ANBU legends about who the man was. The weirdest one being a theory involving Ichiraku's chef as the current 'Master of masks and noodles'._

_It wouldn't take more than a few more weeks for him to first experience the feeling of wearing an ANBU's mask, the kitten one that unknowingly marked him as the cat's pupil._

_It would haunt him for years to come, courtesy of a faceless comrade._

It wasn't until the sun colored the sea a beautiful shade of red on the 3th and last day of his travel, that he knew what that hidden, or rather forbidden substance had been.

As he got off the boat that had transported him over the sea for the last days as a stowaway, he figured that he would soon encounter more of that forbidden substance. After getting of the boat, it didn't take long before he had found his way into the nearest village, and from there on it was just following the riches. The more expensive the houses became, the closer he came to his objective, Shikamaru knew. He ran silently over the roofs while the sun was setting, creating long shadows that would have given him away if it wasn't for his speed. Without being noticed he made his way to the inner circle of the richest merchant of the countries houses.

And of course, a man like Gorgani, known for his shady business and merciless deals, wouldn't let himself be outdone by his potential rivals. His house, or rather palace was the largest and most colorful. It had at least four stories, and the garden was big enough to host a spar between Sasuke and Naruto.

Shikamaru got in easily. For all his riches, the man was way too over confident of his intimidating influence. The reason the door wasn't closed or even locked was most likely because the man was arrogant enough to think that nobody would dare to attack him. The palace was littered with gold and colorful paintings, expensive and great in their number, adorned ever wall he passed on his way to the man's study. The mission scroll had told him that the man would spend most of his days in that room, making new deals and concurring more of the market everyday. His wife even seemed to complain that he never got out again, but Shikamaru figured that the woman already found a lover of her own. He had heard the tales of extortion and blackmail, the way he had forced many families out of their houses for the sake of his own riches. Gorgani wasn't exactly a lovable creature. The man wasn't a criminal, he hadn't killed anyone by his knowledge, but even though Shikamaru wasn't allowed to ask the reason for his assignment, he figured that it would be a good riddance.

Without further ado he slipped into the study, spacious enough for him to hide on top of a bookshelf in a corner without being seen, and found four man talking about the profits of underpaid workers.

"Otherwise they would only waste it on alcohol anyway! This way we teach the population to spend their money wisely," Gorgani said. He wasn't small by any means, Shikamaru noted while he watched the meeting conclude when the other men nodded in affirmation while ironically sipping some more wine.

Their eyes hardly ever left the many riches in the room, their envious looks barely covered up by a fake smile. Gorgani didn't seem to mind, if he'd noticed it at all.

It didn't take more than a few bottles of wine and some expensive chocolate before the three men agreed that lowering the minimum wages of their workers was best for all of them. Shikamaru waited until they had left the room before and Gorgani had send the maid that had was cleaning the mess from the meeting away.

In a split second he was behind the merchant and aimed for the man's head. One well executed strike of his katana would put an end to the man's life and his business, and would grant Shikamaru some sleep.

However, before the blade could connect to the skin, he felt an incoming shuriken attempt to take his life, and he had to abort the action.

He fell back into a darker corner, but saw he had been noticed by not only Gorgani, but also those who had just kept him from doing what he had came for.

"Another assassin? This is getting old." Gorgani said, and clicked his fingers.

Suddenly there was not only his objective, but he was also faced with two other 'causalities'. He caught a glimpse of another shinobi nearing him at an alarming pace, and knew he had to strike now. While muttering a lone 'troublesome', he feinted forward, dropped into a crouch and swept one outstretched leg around behind him. His foot connected with the fourth ninja's ankles and effectively knocked him of his feet. The woman fell face first on the floor, and with a well aimed kick on her temple, Shikamaru knew that she wouldn't be getting up. Ever.

The other ninja's didn't need another warning. In a split second the two others pushed his objective into the back and blocked his way. They knew who he was coming for, and that alone was a bad sign. Shikamaru didn't waste any more time and jumped on the left guy, pouncing the man onto the ground. He landed a blow on the man's shin before narrowly avoiding a hit from his comrade. The other ninja wasn't fast enough to keep up with him either though. In a split second Shikamaru unsheathed his katana in mid air and twisted his way to the man. He aimed for the man's head, but hit his shoulder instead when the man tried to dodge. Not wasting a second, he twisted the blade into the pierced flesh and heard the man yell in agony. He pulled out immediately before the man could react and landed a good kick on the man's head. The crack he heard was enough affirmation for him to know that he had reduced the number of his opponents from four to one.

When he looked up to where the fourth and last man was supposed to be, he found none.

"Bravo!" a voice from behind him suddenly said. He turned around and saw Gorgani sitting in his chair, a self-aggrandizing smirk plastered on his face. Shikamaru immediately put some distance between them and awaited the mans next move when he saw the man's hands move.

However, instead of forming handseals, the man started clapping. "Bravo!" he repeated "Never before did someone pass my guards so quickly before! Especially someone your age!"

The man stood up from his chair and took a few steps forward, daring Shikamaru to move, or even to react. Something about the way he moved made Shikamaru believe in the Hokage's assumption of the man's shinobi status. The man seemed wealthy, but too much aware of his situation to be an ordinary civilian. Not like those 'business partners' from earlier.

This was immediately confirmed when the man stopped clapping and formed a single handseal a moment later. Shikamaru could dive away just in time for the wind blast that followed. Shikamaru caught his ground again, but noticed that the man had stopped attacking him again in favor of clapping.

"And so quick too! What a talent. Pray tell me, where are you from and how much do they pay you? I can always pay you more, you must know." The man added, his voice laced with greed. Shikamaru resisted the urge to react, and waited for the right moment to strike. Gorgani continued "How did you think that I got those other ninja? They were the last squad who where send to kill me. Instead I hired them. A pity they died, though, they were fine guards. From a village called … Kono…ha, I believe."

Shikamaru's eyes widened behind his mask, and his eyes immediately went to his fallen comrades. He caught himself growling at the man unconsciously.

However, Gorgani had probably seen it as well, based of the gleam his eyes suddenly possessed. "Oh, you are from Konoha as well? Don't blame me for their deaths. After all, it was you who killed them."

Shikamaru schooled his features and cursed himself for giving such an important piece of his identity away to his subject. The man couldn't leave this room alive.

Luckily, he wasn't planning on letting him leave from the start, but still.

"So" The man continued. "Are you interested in taking their place? You can even come live here with me in the palace. All this, could be yours as well." He stretched his arms, indicating the many golden candles lighting the air.

Shikamaru didn't even follow his arms, or grace him with an answer. This was an assassination, and he had already wasted too much energy. Instead of a verbal response, he unsheathed his sword, and broke out in a run.

Gorgani however, obviously didn't really need as much protection as he implied he needed. Without wasting a second he lunged forward as well, flying forward with a well executed kick. Shikamaru sidestepped, blocking the kick to with his katana to the left and sweeping using the mean time to throw in a punch with his free arm. Gorgani quickly ducked and countered with a low kick of his own. Shikamaru jumped up in the air again and created some distance between them to buy him some time so he could analyze his opponent. The man was obviously trained in a style that focused on kicking, and from the looks of it, he was very adept in using the wind element, which made it very likely that the man was above jounin level.

His assailant didn't like what Shikamaru was doing, and immediately went at it again. However, Shikamaru ducked not a second too late before the next kick could make contact with his temple and in one graceful swipe of his leg he had the man floored. The man immediately rolled away from Shikamaru's attempted finishing blow, the katana missing him save for a some skin of his shoulder. The man growled in anger, but didn't move from his spot a meter away from Shikamaru, his entire body in a defensive stance from the floor.

"This is your last chance, boy. Choose to join me now, and you will get to keep your life, and even get paid for!" He said with a fake friendly tone. Shikamaru didn't bulge but instead jumped up again, forcing the man out of his favorable position. They both landed less than four meters from each other, and the man was not happy to say the least. Shikamaru could feel his chakra levels rising, and knew that the man wouldn't go easy on him anymore. Enough words were spoken now. It was time for action. "Fine! If you want to die so badly! Go ahead, give me all you've got! Make my day!" Gorgani said, raising his voice in a dangerous fury.

Though it was technically night and Shikamaru was passive by nature, Shikamaru did just that. He jumped up and landed not far behind the man, feinting a kick to his shin before lashing out with his katana. The man ducked once again and attempted to kick him, but Shikamaru was prepared this time. He back flipped and grabbed the leg, pulling it with him and through the air. A sickening crack echoed through the air as the man could prevent Shikamaru from landing on his leg.

Gorgani didn't grown or scream from the pain, but twisted the leg immediately out of his grip and used Shikamaru's surprise to land a weak but effective kick with his knee into his spine. Shikamaru grunted softly, and he swore he could hear the man mutter a faded "I thought he wasn't mute" before completely freeing himself. Gorgani was back on his feet, albeit not very steadily, and his hands were already forming handseals again. Shikamaru still was a little bit nauseous from the knee, but alert enough to block the nameless jutsu before it hit him. The chair behind him was slashed in two by the wind blade, and Shikamaru was just glad that it wasn't him. Gorgani wasn't a civilian, and those chuunin wouldn't have won from him even if they wouldn't have betrayed Konoha. The man was very good, and very powerful.

However, Shikamaru was better. Shikamaru twisted himself around the man in a split second, blocked the counterblow and used his grip on the man's arm to throw him off balance by kicking Gorgani's injured leg. The man buckled over somewhat, but was stronger than Shikamaru had anticipated and freed himself before Shikamaru could hit a vital point, and started raining blows with his bare hands at whatever part of Shikamaru's body he could get. Shikamaru blocked each and every one of them, but decided to take a risk and let one through. The man was strong, and the fist hitting his chest would bruise terribly, but it was worth it. The man moved as expected, and tried to take advantage of his blow by taking the time to pull back his fist to get more power into the collision. Shikamaru immediately intercepted, gripped his katana tighter with his right hand, and landed a much quicker blow on the man's jaw with the other. The collision surprised the man who thought he'd won for sure now.

He stumbled a little bit, and Shikamaru pounced on him before the man could recover. They both fell on the ground, but Gorgani took the impact of their combined weight. Shikamaru saw his opportunity to impale the man with his katana, straight through the chest. He pinned his victim to the ground while the body lost it's strength along with blood.

Shikamaru took one more look at the pleading blood shot eyes, the lips that where forming words like 'money' and 'price', before twisting the katana painfully inside the man. The man grunted in pain. "With the greetings from Konoha." He added, stood up and pulled out.

The man's eyes widened, thinking that Shikamaru had changed his mind, but was proved wrong when the katana easily separated the man's head from his shoulders, separating the Gorgani Estaboli from the living. Shikamaru watched his eyes widen just before his body went limp and his eyes lost their life.

For a one unprofessional second, Shikamaru winced at the amount of bloodshed he had caused. The once stylish carpet was now littered with blood, and some had even landed on a candle.

He quickly recovered himself and checked the room for any traces of his presence. The consequences of the kill couldn't be landed on Konoha of course. He mentally made a picture of the traitorous leaf shinobi's profiles, laid out the scroll he had stored inside his newly attained tattoo and sealed them inside of it without making another sound. The kill had already been way too messy, and way too loud. People would come looking for Gorgani soon, and he couldn't be here when that happened. Sealing away the man's head as well as a token of his success before he quickly cleaned the blood off his sword with the corps' expensive silk robe, he stepped over the body, into the night.

He was out of the castle before a young maid would check the merchant's room to see if he needed a drink, and instead found his blood and intestines decorating the room. She screamed bloody murder.

**NOTES:**

Location, location, location: I am well aware that this could be viewed as a filler chapter. However, it isn't. In the original ITS, I just told the audience a lot about his skill level, and didn't actually show it. That's something I intended to change in the rewrite, handling the 'show, don't tell' way of writing. Gorgani won't be mentioned again for awhile. He'll never be a key character, but you better remember him though. Also; I hope you all caught on to the subtle mind fuck in the beginning of the chapter (not the insight paragraph).

**Insight:** **(FYI: this is during the end of the last chapter (not the flashback), but then Tenzou's POV)** I usually don't defer from Shikamaru's point of view, because simply everybody has too many secrets and secret agenda's, and if I switch the surprise and the plot would be gone. So once in a while, a side character gets to give his 'insight' on the situation, to give the reader a little clue about what's going on outside the Shika's little world.


	4. Fatherly figures and Daddy

Fourth chapter, includes a lot of mind fuck, most likely because I am kind of angry right now. So Beware. Read carefully. It might explode in your face. Also; why does everybody like the captain commander? **Did you miss the way he fucked with Shikamaru's mind in the last chapter?** I mean, if someone would order me to kill somebody, but I wouldn't be to allowed to ask why, I would be suspicious... Only because Shikamaru accepted it, doesn't mean it's normal! Didn't I teach you anything? Anyway, maybe I am too subtle.

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Chapter 4: Fatherly Figures and Daddy

It was already late in the evening when Shikamaru found himself in the threshold of his home. After an exhausting three day travel he had sneaked into the village, delivered the mission scroll and filled in the mission report as quick as possible. It took me everything he got to stay focused on making sure 'Raiu' became 'Shikamaru' again without leaving a trace of the other's identity. So when he heard voice behind him call his name, he flinched, and immediately felt for his mask: it wasn't there. He sighed of relief.

"Shikamaru" His father repeated, and he looked up to meet his gaze. The man was sitting on the couch in their living room, and motioned him to do the same. "Back from your mission?"

"Yes." Shikamaru answered, but didn't do what he was told to do. Instead, he just kept walking towards his room. After the few hours sleeping he spend on the boat, in a box that was too small to ever be associated with comfortable, his bed was calling for him. "I'm going straight to bed. Didn't sleep properly the last days."

"You're tired, I see." "But next time you decide to leave in the morning, saying you have to speak to the Hokage, and then leave without a trace just to show up a week later, dead tired, leave a note."

Shikamaru stopped dead in his tracks. It was a conversation they'd had before. Shikamaru was often called for a mission in the middle of the day, and he didn't have time to leave a note at home to say that he was going on a mission. His father, however, reasoned that Shikamaru's laziness was the cause of his negligence. Usual jounin, like Shikaku, actually had time for that. ANBU didn't. But Shikamaru couldn't quite say that to his father so he just said what he always did. "I'll try to remember it next time."

"I'm sure you will." His father replied, rolling his eyes like a teenager. Shikamaru was too tired to point that out or laugh. He just wanted to sleep. Dormir. Slapen. Sova. However you wanted to phrase it, he just needed to shut his eyes. His father wouldn't let him, for now, though. "Son." He said, his face a mix between _'My son is growing up'_, _'Something is wrong with him'_ and _'I'm now going to be a good, responsible parent._'.

Shikamaru innerly braced himself for what he knew was about to come. "We used to be close. You used to tell me everything. Remember when you got those 'troublesome' friends? I helped you connecting to them back then. I can help you, Shikamaru."

"If there's something wrong, I'll come to you dad." Shikamaru assured him for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"But there is something wrong. I can see it. You take after me a lot Shikamaru, I can see that. When I was your age, I wasn't all that fond of my old man either." His father said, and Shikamaru inwardly contradicted him. He was still very fond of his father, his friends, his family. However, he had a busy life, and an even busier secret life to hide besides that. His father might like to preach how much alike they were, but somewhere in between him joining ANBU and this very evening, they had grown apart. It saddened him to think that maybe one day he wouldn't even have time to watch his father ramble like this. Or worse, that his father would stop because he found out exactly _why _his son seemed so strange. He stopped his father before the man could sum up his entire childhood and every single likeness between them. It was his father's awkward attempt to bond and comfort, but Shikamaru needed none of that right now.

Sleep was all that mattered. "I get it dad. It's just, the Hokage has been working me day after day, so hard. She says that now I'm getting more and more mature, I need to pick up more responsibilities." That wasn't a total lie, and he hoped he wouldn't have to elaborate which responsibilities that actually were.

"You always had a somewhat immature approach of life, and I agree that it has been fading for a while now. But maybe she's just testing you for the jounin function. She's already trusting you with far more than the others of your generation." His father reasoned, and Shikamaru had to bite his tongue to prevent him from blurting out that he had already been promoted. "You're a smart kid, and though I won't pretend that I know what's going on in your mind, I do know that you've been acting out of your character, Shikamaru. Being a shinobi is not your life, Shikamaru, it is your job. Don't let it change you."

Shikamaru just nodded. _'Maybe being a shinobi is not a life style….'_

"Funny. I never imagined that I would one day have to tell you that, with your 'passive approach of life'." His father joked, and Shikamaru decided that this was a good moment to head to his room.

"If you're just going to make fun of me, I'm going to sleep." He didn't gave his father any time to retort, and dragged himself up the stairs, into his room. The last thing he thought before his head head hit the pillow and he blacked out, was how his two father figures, his real one and the 'father' of his other persona, had such different views on the job.

It was because of his sleep fogged mind that he hadn't seen his father's suspicious look, or heard the questions laced underneath the lighthearted talk they'd just shared. Or the lingering eyes on his hair, untied and still bearing some traces of blood he'd forgotten to wash out, that only a seasoned shinobi would pick up.

It had been 2 weeks since he had become an official an ANBU, and his teammates had insisted on dragging him with them to the Barbeque restaurant every single chance they got.

Ino had been fussing about him and Chouji, the usual thing really. Nothing had changed in their life together while his was changing with the day. It was strange, and he didn't know if he liked the fact that they were growing up so fast. If they grew up too fast, they might not notice it if they grew apart until it was too late.

"Stop eating so fast!" She said, hitting Chouji on the head.

Shikamaru dodged just in time for a blow of his own. "Start eating faster!"

"Stop smoking while eating!" She berated, and sighed, taking a bite of herself now she was done playing their mother.

And so on. Not that he minded, really. She was just looking out for them, and with her brash nature it tended to sound a little forceful sometimes. Most of the time.

So they were just having team lunch, with all their unhealthy habits included. It didn't matter though, at the time, nothing trivial like that seemed to matter. In the back of their minds, there was the constant whispering of facts.

Like the fact that the average chuunin, like them, didn't reach 35. The average jounin barely made 40, but that was only an average, because almost every ninja who made it past 40 would retire immediately, and the ones who made it past that age were rare.

In the back of Shikamaru's mind went another few facts: 95% of the ANBU died during their period in the squad, 50% before the end of their first year. Facts, facts, nothing but truthful but merciless numbers. As long as he could have moments like this, numbers, or facts for that matter, be damned.

Ino took his concentration away when she addressed him. "Shikamaru?" She said.

"Yes Ino?" He said just as politely.

Her voice was even and Shikamaru suspected that she had been waiting the entire day, maybe even the entire week, to ask him whatever she was going to ask him. Glancing around in a split second, he saw Chouji and Asuma, who had even stopped smoking, focusing on them as well. "When are you going to tell us your dirty little secret?"

Shikamaru eyes flew open, and he almost spewed out all his food over the table. Chouji laughed next to him, and Ino chuckled as well. "What?"

His teacher stopped laughing at the face his pupil made in favor joining his other pupil. "Yes, Shikamaru, when are you going to introduce us to her?" He said, including fake-hurt tone.

"You're one to talk sensei." Ino berated him, and Shikamaru could only watch them interact in complete stupor.

Asuma shrugged and started smoking again. "I don't know what you're talking about, Ino."

"Her?" Shikamaru interjected before they digressed too much. He was having a crisis here, and they were talking about girls?

"Your girlfriend!" Ino shrieked happily, and Chouji chuckled uncomfortably next to him. "You hardly ever spend time with us. So it's obvious that you're having a secret affair with some girl. Don't your parents approve? Is she much younger? Or older? You're not dating Tsunade are you? That's just gross. But you can trust us, you know!"

Shikamaru groaned, and resisted the urge to kill himself. He didn't know why he even thought that they might have found out, but to think they'd got to this conclusion. It was something he'd expect from Ino, but judging the looks his other 'teammates' were giving him, they agreed with him. "So, just because I actually do my job… I must have girlfriend. Pray tell me, which one of you geniuses deducted this brilliant conclusion?" He said, voice laced with sarcasm.

"Do I hear denial? No!" Ino decided though, and Shikamaru had to admit to himself that even though she sometimes lived in the world of those cheap novels she liked to read, he had missed this.

"Okay Ino, I will spell it out for you clearly." He said, still slightly irritated. "No, I do not have a girlfriend. Especially not Hokage-sama." His sensei muttered something incoherent, and Shikamaru decided that he didn't want to know.

"A boyfriend then? That would explain wh-" Shikamaru interrupted her just in time before she embarrassed him even more in front of the entire restaurant.

"No, not a boyfriend either. Or ever." He deadpanned, and Ino laughed uncomfortably muttering something about it not being uncommon in their generation and Shikamaru decided that he really didn't want to know. Again.

Ino wanted to say something again, but Asuma cut her off. "That's enough, Ino. Give him a break will ya? The boy's blushing!" Somehow that didn't make it easier at all. Nor did her giggles. "How about we warp up here and go spar some, like back in the old days."

"Yes! It's been such a long time since we all trained together!" Chouji jotted in happily. He seemed content just to spend time together, and it hurt Shikamaru somewhat to see it. So he just nodded in agreement.

"Good" Asuma said, looking smug, like he'd planned it all along, which was probably the truth. "Because I prepared something special for this 'special' occasion." And with that, they finished up their food, and left for their favorite training grounds in the meadows where Shikamaru had spend many hours watching his teammates struggle to get something right in the past, watching clouds. It felt somewhat nostalgic, but not bad by any means.

The warm sun on his face that accompanied him through all his travels, the way the temperature changed on his skin when a cloud passed over it, the breeze that freely ruffled his hair and clothes and even the scratchy dead leaves and twigs that crunch under his feet: It felt like home, and Shikamaru was glad, even though his sensei was obviously plotting something. And deducted from the continues glances to his sensei's backpack, or the way he kept on assuring that it was still there, Shikamaru knew that the 'surprise' was right there.

When they stopped somewhere near the middle of the field, the backpack was indeed opened an a very ominous, or at least to Shikamaru it was, scroll was pulled out. Asuma unsealed it with more trouble than necessary, but he didn't comment. Fingers of air raked through the plush meadow grasses, stirring up the scent of wild strawberry and goldenrod into his system, and Shikamaru enjoyed it some more before the 'fun' would start.

When his former teacher was done, he glanced back to what exactly the scroll had been hiding inside. He was met with the sight of various weapons sprawled across the soft grass, the contrast making them stand out even more in the warm sunlight.

Chouji was touching a pair of knives like Asuma's with awe, and Ino was looking at two Sai Knives like they were giant forks, and Shikamaru pushed back the memory of how sharp they were in favor of sighing at the sight.

"Alright, hurry up and pick something. It's about time you'll learn to handle more than just a kunai. And the best way to find out which weapons suits you, of course, is trying out as much as possible." Asuma said happily, and Shikamaru had a moment of déjà vu. Tenzou smiled like that sometimes, and it often involved weapons as well.

Chouji seemed to settle with a scythe, but Ino was picking up the various weapons undecidedly until her eye fell on something that had caused his interest as well. Before she could reach out and grab it, Shikamaru snatched up the katana and tried it out in his hand. The grip felt familiar but foreign. He was too used to his own, slightly longer katana, and would most likely miss quite a few things because of it, but he was still lazy. He didn't feel like pretending to learn something 'new', especially because each of these weapons had been thrown at him at least ones in one of his trainings.

"Ino, Chouji, you'll spar together." Asuma said, and Shikamaru caught the way he looked at Shikamaru's practiced grip on the weapon when he turned towards him. "And you will be fighting me."

Shikamaru resisted the urge to groan. Training wasn't fun. Training with Tenzou was challenging, but too painful to be called fun. And training with his team had never really interested him. However, judging the way Chouji and Ino sat down on the sidelines and made quite a few comments, he figured that he was supposed to go first.

"READY?" Ino shouted from the other side of the meadow. Shikamaru groaned and got into a basic battle position, while his sensei told her to give them a signal to start and slipped in his own fighting stance, but not before asking Shikamaru if he'd ever done this before.

Shikamaru shrugged "I'm not very practiced."

Ino gave the signal and Asuma lunged forwards with his knives. Analyzing his every move while dodging and parrying, Shikamaru let his body get used to his sensei's weapons and the rhythm of his movements. He hadn't been completely honest with his former teacher when he had said that he wasn't really 'practiced' with weapons.. The way of the sword had been drilled in him by Tenzou for the past few years, a man who was not only known for his horrible jokes but also for his elemental manipulation. The lightly powered knives were nothing compared to the things that had been thrown at him. Literally. In a normal fight, when he would've been able hide his boredom and too sharp eyes behind a mask, and he would've already forced the opponent into making a mistake. However, this was Asuma, and he was an not so ordinary Chuunin right now.

Yeah right.

Asuma made the aura of wind chakra flare up somewhat, and Shikamaru pretended to be surprised when he let it bite into his skin somewhat. Ino and Chouji seemed surprised for some reason, but Shikamaru didn't really care.

Asuma, kept going at it, but Shikamaru remained passive. After a few more attempts to get past Shikamaru's defenses, Asuma began to charge his knives more and more. Shikamaru could feel the desperation in every slash while he just bended his body in another angle to avoid a hit. When Asuma suddenly striked from behind, Shikamaru's body moved on it's own and made a back flip while pulling Asuma with him to the ground in mid air. The man had not expected this, to be floored by his most lazy student during one of his 'first' times with the sword. He had expected Shikamaru to be lazy, to make up some strategy that would tire Asuma out, but not flawless reflexes.

Shikamaru realized that this might give away some of his superior skill, but he didn't seem to mind at the moment. His teacher was back on his feet and ready to charge at him again, but it was not the knives in his hands that were the focus of Shikamaru's thoughts as he blocked another hit. He was rather disappointed that a man of Asuma's skill level was so easy to defeat, and disappointed that his teacher continued to underestimate him. Shikamaru dismissed the thoughts before they became to bothersome, and decided to put in some 'flair'.

He forced Asuma back with a sudden lash out of his sword. The man was slightly taken back, but crossed his knives to black the hit. Anticipating this move, Shikamaru landed a punch kick on the man's shins and quickly floored him. Asuma, however, caught himself before he hit the ground and landed a good kick on Shikamaru's knee before he was on his feet again, ready for the next blow. Shikamaru could almost see the excitement in his teachers eyes; apparently the thought that his student was making an effort to surpass him was enough for the man to forget pride and pain and abandon all precautions he'd had before.

Shikamaru smiled lazily, but felt the throbbing pain in his knee. His teacher wasn't stupid by any means; the knee is a major weak spot of the body, especially for someone with his fighting style. How much had he shown already? He glanced at his former teammates located in the back of the clearing. Their little 'crowd', who had chattered and teased him in the beginning of the fight, became completely silent, and the air rang was void of any sound except the 'CLING' of clashing metal, and an occasionally wince when a hit was taken.

Their eye grew wide when Shikamaru made an unexpected move and his katana slipped past Asuma's defenses. A few drops of blood hit the floor, leaking from the small gash in his teachers chest. Asuma had dodged, but obviously hadn't avoided the hit entirely. The man didn't seem to mind, but didn't look as happy as he had seemed before. Shikamaru just smiled and lashed out again. It didn't matter that he wasn't supposed to be this good. He'd gotten away with it before, and he was pissed of and needed some release.

Shikamaru preformed a basic feint stab technique and brought his teacher of balance, but Asuma saw through it and backhanded in a return blow. Shikamaru twisted around and thrust the katana in the way of the attack, effectively halting whatever movement the knife was making. In a split second, he freed his other and hand an snatched the knife out of it's owners hand while jumping out of sticking distance before the man even saw what he was doing. Asuma narrowed his eyes, but didn't speak his mind. Instead, he praised him halfheartedly. "Good technique, surely this isn't your first time with a katana?"

Shikamaru shrugged, not really bothering to supply an answer. He didn't feel like lying to a father figure, or to someone who had once fulfilled that role."I practiced some" Without further ado he threw the stolen knife back to his teacher, and waited for him to make the next move.

Asuma blinked as if coming out of a daze but caught it nevertheless and started attacking. He kept throwing attack after attack at his most surprising student, to get him out of his shell again, and force him to show some of that hidden or suppressed skill. He had been training with weapons for ages, and the way Shikamaru danced in perfect harmony with a foreign katana showed that the boy had not just 'practiced a bit'. He must have trained for days in a row, many times a month for at least a few years to attain such skill.

The funny thing was, Shikamaru didn't like rigorous training, or just labor in general. The boy had been a little bit estranged from them since he had been made chuunin while the rest of his team had been forced to take the exam again. Shikamaru had been going on missions with other shinobi outside his team.

However, when he asked Kakashi or Kurenai, both would say that they had never accompanied Shikamaru on a mission, or even seen him leave or return from one. It was suspicious, but not impossible for a ninja. He admitted that he didn't have that many friends and that Kakashi and Kurenai weren't all knowing either.

The boy still came back after all, and he still smiled. Though it went against his very nature as a ninja to ignore such a change in his student, he shrugged it off and attacked from above. Shikamaru's eyes didn't even move to see him attack. Their weapons caught each other high in the air, and they stood belly to belly, face to face.

"Tired already, Shikamaru?" Asuma taunted.

Shikamaru raised his eyebrow at Asuma's panting form, and lowered his weapon. Turning around, he caught a brief glance of his teammates before muttering an insincere "Yeah" just before he joined them on the side lines. There, he laid down for a moment or two, closing his eyes and himself of to his two very bewildered teammates without an answer to their silent questions.

Then, suddenly, someone blocked his sun. "Ano… Shikamaru-kun."

He cracked open a single eye and saw Hyuuga Hinata standing before him. The shy girl was fidgeting with her hands, and as timid as usual. Shikamaru resisted the urge to smile at the innocence she radiated, and noted in the back of his head that he ought to hook her and Chouji up someday. Ino would gladly offer her services. "Hi Hinata, how are you today?" He asked gently.

"F-fine." She smiled slightly, uncomfortable because of his teammates stares. They were still in their shocked and curious state, and poor Hinata was the victim of it.

He sat up and guided her attention away from their stares. "You look like you are going somewhere, so what are you doing here?" He said, trying not to sound too harsh. The girl seemed so fragile that he was afraid to even raise his voice.

Hinata smiled purely again and nodded. "I'm going to Suna, because I am the ambassador and there is a meeting." She said, looking to her left, giving away that she wasn't telling him everything. He chuckled, even her body language was pure, like a child. "And- and- Tsunade-sama told me to g-give you this!" She continued, pushing the scroll almost in his face.

She shrieked when she realized she could have broken his nose with the force she put behind it. "I'm so sorry!"

"It doesn't matter, Hinata." He said backhandedly, ignoring the throbbing in his nose. He'd had far worse, and tried to fake another smile to enforce his comment.

She smiled and apologized once again before running off quickly, almost stumbling on the way. He waved her goodbye and sighed. It was a good thing that every sane member in the village was holding her back from becoming a jounin. She had the motivation, but the innocence of a child. She wouldn't survive a day on the field, he knew.

"Well, that was… strange…?" Chouji commented when she was gone. "But what did she give you, Shika?" He looked at the scroll that had been dumped in his lap. The simple leather band gave away something that only he caught on. His teacher also approached them while Ino and Chouji were wondering about what it could be, and Shikamaru's training went through his mind.

Someone gives you a scroll in plain sight? You can open it in plain sight.

The color of the scroll is green with red? Meaning: It contains a mission description and a package sealed into the scroll with a fake mission to mislead the onlookers, which meant he would be away for at least 3 days.

Carefully, he opened the scroll and read it, not bothering to avoid the prying eyes of his sensei. It simply stated he had to accompany a few jounin who had been put under suspicion of faking evidence on their mission to Iwa. He memorized the details for his alibi. When he was done he looked up to his sensei.

"You read it?"

This surprised the man a little bit, of course, it wasn't 'good' to be caught reading somebody else's summoning requests, so Shikamaru figured he would react this way. (That, and it was fun.)

"You'll be gone for a week or two?" He replied semi-casually, and Ino and Chouji drunk his reply like water. "Do I have to tell your parents?"

"No, I'll leave a note." _this time'_ "I have to go home anyway to prepare."

"You go on missions without us all the time these days!" Ino complained what had been bothering her for a while now, and let him leave reluctantly. "We're all chuunin, so why are we never teamed up together anymore."

Shikamaru decided to tell them another time that he had been promoted to jounin as well, because if he would he would never get out in time for his mission. He still had to prepare and that always took time. "I don't know, ask the Hokage."

And with that he took off, not hearing Asuma mumbling that he would most certainly do that. After all, the most chuunin weren't assigned for such important missions, especially underage chuunin. It seemed all too familiar, yet he couldn't put a finger on it…

"He went the wrong way." Chouji suddenly said, pulling Asuma out of his musings.

Asuma looked up. "What?"

"His house." Chouji repeated. "It's the other way."

Asuma looked at Chouji again. The boy could be awfully perspective when he had his mind on it, and nodded absentmindedly. He most definitely needed to look into this. Shikamaru was hiding something for them, and it was killing team 10.

"We were right after all!" Ino shrieked behind him. "He does have a girlfriend! Hinata!" But Asuma ignored him. Shikamaru had been sincere, and he had a feeling that whatever was wrong with his estranged student, that it was far deeper and far more 'troublesome' than your average teenagers problems.

This had been bothering him for far too long now.

* * *

On the other side of the village, or rather underneath it, Shikamaru was busy preparing himself. He hadn't lied when he said he'd go home, because to some extend his little messy room in the HQ was homey enough for him. Except for the shrieking door though. He needed to oil that someday, but he just couldn't find the motivation to do it. Which wasn't an uncommon occurrence with him, of course.

The briefing had been short and exactly as he'd expected it to be, as he'd almost guessed all the details beforehand. Which wasn't an uncommon occurrence either. He was almost finished putting on his gear when he heard someone knock on his door. "Come in."

Tenzou never minded to disturb his privacy and sat down on the bed like it was his own. "Congratulations on the last mission. I heard you actually manage to reach the time limit."

Shikamaru smiled, but waved it off in favor of looking for some extra pair of clothing. "Barely."

Tenzou chuckled as well. "Success is success. It doesn't matter how or why. Haven't I taught you anything?"

Shikamaru tossed another nearly rotting sock in the corner, where he wouldn't smell it. "Not to be on time, that's for sure." And it wasn't a lie. Tenzou had been strict, but never really put that through with time limits. He reasoned that it didn't matter when you returned from the mission, as long as the mission was completed within the time limit. They had often been caught lazing around in the headquarters when they weren't supposed to, but the commander didn't really seem to mind either. He reasoned that as long as they didn't sleep 'during' the execution of the mission, they would be fine. And Shikamaru agreed. There was nothing wrong with taking a break or two once in a while. "Besides, don't you have something to do? You're awfully inactive these days."

"Well, that would be your fault. Which I'm totally taking advantage of, mind you. I used to be so busy with getting you to do _something_, I didn't do that many missions. The secretary has yet to be informed of my 'change in schedule'." And he didn't need to explain that that wouldn't happen sometime soon. "Besides, I got you to do my job."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Well, not for the next few weeks. I'm off to Suna for a while. You know me. Doing important international busyness and screwing over the political system. The usual stuff." His voice laced with sarcasm.

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence either that the two of them would sit joking around in some room. The man was actually bearable when he wasn't busy being a slavedriver.

"I'm sure they'll just love you." Tenzou replied, just as sarcastic. "Suna is known for their unnatural motivation. Comes with living in a desert, I suppose. You have to got some will to live in order to survive.

"I suppose." Shikamaru said not really looking at his teacher. Was he really running out of explosive tags again? He'd refilled his stock not too long ago.

Tenzou got the hint. "Anyway, when you return, give me a call. I wanna try that underage drinking again." And just as quickly as he came, he disappeared out of his room, God knows where to. Shikamaru was so used to it that he didn't even hear the closing of the door, only the shrieking that accompanied it.

He finally found his final kunai underneath his pillow, of all places, and then noticed something else dropped on his pillow. He scolded himself for having such a one track mind sometimes, and picked up the ration bars. His sensei had obviously left it there, knowing that he would forget to bring some food as always and use that as an excuse to take a break in the heat of the action.

Picking up the last of his resources, he secured the scroll on his belt and moved towards the only dust free spot in his room. Laying on top of the small dresser, his mask didn't really look like he valued it as much as Shikamaru did. However, his sensei would be able to point out how clean the surface of the dresser was, or how the ties that were used to bind the mask to his face where braided together very neatly, like the user had tried to worship their red silk. Shikamaru gently picked it up and placed it where it belonged. He felt the familiar rush, and put up the jutsu. Last but not least, he removed the tie from his hair, the one that he had worn constantly ever since his father had decided that his son was too much like him and needed a tie of his own. He gently laid it down on the dresser, where his mask had previously laid, and turned around without looking back, of to the gates, where his objective would be waiting for him.

And indeed she was waiting there. "Hello, ANBU-san. I am very grateful for your protection." Hinata mumbled humbly, and Shikamaru just nodded.

"Raiu." He uttered quickly, tapping on the side of his mask where he knew the kanji was painted.

"Oh, I apologize." She said, and Shikamaru noted that though she didn't stutter as much as she did with her friends, her voice was even softer than before. It was annoying to strain himself to listen, but he bore it.

"Let's go." He said, and motioned her to walk ahead of him, setting the pace. She quickly bowed to him, and walked ahead of him, ever quiet. 'Like a mouse.' His mind supplied almost cruelly. 'A gray mouse. Isn't that the prey of an owl?' He inwardly chuckled at his strange thoughts, but couldn't help but think that the girl was extremely unfit for the job.

However, ANBU don't ask questions. They watch, often in silence, and then strike. So the three day trip too Suna was not all too eventful. He was grateful for the silence though, because he knew that soon he wouldn't get any. The meeting that Hinata would attend concerned some international business, so as usually a few representations were send. And he knew that one of them was Hatake Kakashi. And that could only mean one thing. After all, the man never left his 'children' at home after one almost defected from what the man called 'neglectance'. He could hear Kakashi's word echo in his head over and over again. "He's such a needy child. Always needs someone to comfort him." And Shikamaru resisted the urge to throw up when trying to picture Uchiha as a spoiled little brat with big watery eyes and pouting lips, begging for attention. That just didn't fit the 'avenger' image, or whatever lifestyle the boy kept up these days.

He watched fledgling birds learning how to fly to pass the time, basking in the strained sunlight through the clouds. It was peaceful, but he couldn't help but see the similarities. During their travel, Hinata once pointed at a few animals that were trying to swim against the current, and he was glad that the mask hid the smile that formed at her childlike awe.

When the silent days had passed, and they reached Suna, it didn't take long before he met the 'children' in question. In front of the main administration building, also made out of sand stone just like every other building in the village of the (not so) Hidden Sand, they stood: Konoha's demolition team. He had sensed them from afar so he had known it to be them for a while and had taken the necessary preparations.

Like earplugs. He'd also wordlessly presented Hinata with a pair of her own, but of course she didn't understand what they were for. Which of course wasn't all that strange, seeing how the entire leaf somehow still remained oblivious of their power level and fame that came along. Somehow the every nation cowered at the mere sight of three genin and a crazy teacher with a knack for mass destruction and total homicide, but their home town still treated the better half of the team like dirt. Or worse.

But still, earplugs where a necessity, and he was glad that he had been prepared. He valued his ears, after all. Because they didn't only destroy with their fist, their bickering could kill you. Officially, they weren't called the demolition team, and Shikamaru was quite sure neither of them except for their team leader knew of the given name. Yet, they were known through the entire ninja world except for Konoha itself as Konoha's demolition team because of their tendency to destroy _anything_ within a ten mile radius. He had even heard that there were negotiations in Iwa for putting a flee on sight order on Team 7. The only thing that seemed to hold them back from actually doing so he suspected to be the fact that except for the captain, they were all genin, and it hurt their pride a little too much that their entire squads could be taken down by mere genin.

Then again, he doubted they would ever be able to execute a mission with a secretive nature, because if they kept on not hiding their presence like this… But then again, he mused, what is the point of masking your chakra when you can destroy anything that can sense it within bare seconds?

It was Kakashi that sensed them first and greeted him first in his usual aloof manner. "Hey, Hinata. What a coincidence meeting" Shikamaru suppressed a groan. Then Kakashi addressed him. "And hello, ANBU." It was obvious he was trying to find out who was behind the mask. Well, it was for someone who had been trained to recognize the signals.

He gave a quick nod, not breaking the vow of efficient silence. Dealing with team 7 was fun when you weren't trying to accomplish something. As an ANBU, Shikamaru couldn't have a casual talk with either of them. He had to stay professional.

"What are you doing here, Hinata!" Sakura said surprised, immediately diving on the silent girl. "And who is your friend?"

Which was hard when they were asking such obvious questions.

"You're not very tall. How old are you?"

"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled and she hit Naruto's head. He was used to it though, so he recovered quickly after being hit. Sakura wasn't done yet, though. "You can't just ask a higher up how old he is! And say hello to Hinata!"

"But Sakura! He's probably our age!" Naruto all but whined, while nursing his poor head, though Shikamaru was quite sure that it was all just a show. He had seen him fight. The boy, no man really, fought like a demon and would most likely take a knife in the chest before even groaning in pain. He had come a long way from the shrimp he had once been. "Oh, and hi Hinata." He added childishly.

Hinata smiled back shyly, affection lacing her voice. "Hi Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-san, Uchiha." She finished somewhat harshly, or as a harsh as she could sound anyway. It was no secret in their generation that the two really disliked each other for no apparent reason. Well, actually it was obvious, but Shikamaru just really didn't want to know it. He was good at pretending after all.

Sasuke and Kakashi remained silent through the entire ordeal, but Shikamaru knew that Sasuke had wanted to ask the same things to him. He looked apologetic at Naruto, but Naruto didn't seem to mind as long as Sakura wouldn't hit either of them again. Which she did a lot.

When she was about to do it again for 'asking stupid questions', Shikamaru decided to save him. He changed his voice ever so slightly. It already sounded slightly different from behind the mask, but one had to be careful. "Would it matter if I was your age?"

This time, either Sasuke's curiosity or his cockiness won over his instinct to remain from sayings something when Sakura was having a killing spree. "You still didn't answer our question." He said, not with venom in his words but with a certain determination in his eyes, though the statement wasn't directed at him but at his shy companion. Definitely Naruto's influence.

"I am here for the same reason as you are." She answered surprisingly smooth, "And I think now is about the right time to enter. We do not want to be late." She added politely to the others, quickly.

He nodded. "This is where we part ways, Hyuuga." He said, and they both bowed quickly. Kakashi ushered his team into the building quickly before they could question the ANBU and keep them up much longer. He didn't mind being late, but there was a difference between late, and too late that his team never seemed to understand.

They might have entered the building a little too eagerly, but judging by the questions he could hear the three youngest members of team seven asking, he was glad they did so. He waved them off and focused on the task at hand.

This meeting was extremely important, that Shikamaru knew. What he didn't knew however, was what the heck was wrong with Tsunade when she decided to send them on this mission. Hinata was not that experienced, team 7 lacked political skills or subtlety and had obviously no idea what to expect.

The conference building was the same as almost every other building in Suna: almost entirely made out of sandstone with an oval shaped roof. Shikamaru could think of a couple of reasons why it was shaped that way, but it he brushed it off for now: he had to focus. The conference room was big and oval and the furniture consisted out of one large table with a lot of chairs. Team 7 took a seat, with Kakashi directly next to him as the proud 'daddy', urging them to be 'good kids' and 'stay put'. They seemed to be able to keep quiet now though.

Other than him and team 7, there were also council members of both Suna and Konoha and a few jounin and an ANBU from Suna. Among them, he recognized Gaara and saw some other sad jounin he had seen before.

The contact was not mutual though: Shikamaru was not invited into the room, or even into the meeting. Not escorting had been his mission, that had just been a cover up in case he got caught.

"So, now it's time to really start the mission." He muttered silently towards nobody in particular, already feeling the sun burning down into his unprotected skin. After all, how many people put parasols on top of a roof. Spying could be such a drag sometimes.

* * *

**NOTES**

**Fatherly figures: **In the first paragraph I wanted to highlight some of Shikamaru's changes. Do you remember how in a flashback Shikamaru was afraid to be changed by the job and Tenzou told him that the change was inevitable, and just suck it up? Well, that's of course just one point of view. Shikaku obviously tells his son that changing for the job is a bad thing. So, who to please? This fic has a lot of conflicting opinions, and this is just the beginning. Children always aim to please, and many adults still do most of the time. It's natural human behavior, but I understand that it would cause some conflict in the ninja world, so I want to involve that in the fic. Though, I already mentioned a few minor conflicting beliefs in the previous chapters. Also, title fuck: Who is his main fatherly figure? His own father, his first, kind teacher who accepted him for who he was, or the man that drove him to his fullest potential with a lazy smile etched into his face? Daddy obviously refers to our big Daddy, the one and only Hatake Kakashi.

**Shikamaru's fighting style:** Please don't forget that he was still holding back, only slipping into his real form once in a while, AND fighting with a foreign weapon. Next chapter will show some more 'real' stuff. Though, you might have noticed that Shikamaru jumps a lot, also in the previous chapter. That is actually the basic of his style, which I deducted from the Chuunin exam: _Jump, strike, backflip, strike from behind. _He usually attacks from above, and never from below. (Don't count the leg swipe, that's different, that's flooring.)

**For the original readers of ITS:**_AKA: The major changes in the rewrite:_ The 'girlfriend' conversation was originally supposed to be an Omake that never made it through. I couldn't resist this time though, I still love team 10 silliness. I couldn't resist to put in this spar, as I wanted to show the first signs of Shikamaru's apathy. And though even the Hinata didn't show up in the original ITS this early, she would have shown up in chapter 11, in the hospital. However, a proofreader told me that it would be too unclear and that nobody actually got the point of the meeting so I decided to involve her earlier. And no she's not an ANBU. Will never be either, too cute. And don't we all just love Shikaku? He's on to us!

**Shikamaru the slob:** Sue me, nobody's perfect. _**Obsidian Fire: **He's lazy, what would you expect?_

* * *

**EDIT:** I'll be taking a short break from the story until my motivation returns. But on the bright side, I've got 5 German readers! I just returned from Germany! (I'm dutch) Ich liebe du! Danke schön für lesen! (sorry if it sucks, I quit German in school after the first year.)

Also, why do 15 people seriously think that Ichiraku is evil and in ANBU? (result of my poll.) I'm very frightened right now.

Anyway, I'm going to demand you to review now. So do it, or I'll have a bunny kill you in your sleep. Just kidding... or not?


	5. The Meetings

_I'm not sorry about the Hiatus, as I've stated before. However, it is over now, and I introduce you to an entirely new chapter of ITS. I hope for your continued support and understanding for my absence. Other than that, enjoy._

_BETA'D! GO LOVE HIM NOW!_

* * *

**Chapter 5****  
****_The Meetings_****  
**_"A meeting between two beings who complete one another, who are made for each other, borders already, in my opinion, on a miracle"_

**

* * *

**The meeting had been pretty boring so far, Shikamaru concluded. It took him all of his strength to keep his focus on the men and women who were trying to dance around the subject and failed horribly. That was until a man in expensive clothing suddenly called attention to himself. He interrupted a speaker in the middle of his speech by raising a hand. Shikamaru couldn't identify him, but he immediately had the entire room silenced and from the looks of it he was from Suna. Judging from the traditional 'curtain-covered face' style the man wore, he had to be a higher-up. It didn't escape Shikamaru's notice how Gaara's eye twitched ever so slightly, most likely in annoyance. The man was old but obviously powerful and most likely not a friend of Gaara.

Not that he and Gaara actually got along well, but that was beside the point.

"My allies." The man with the grey curtain on the left side of his face said. "We have seen the activities of the group called Akatsuki. They have not only killed the Jinchuuriki of Iwa, but also tried to take the Jinchuuriki of Konoha hostage."  
He spoke slowly, as if every word had great value. His voice was low and he held authority. Everybody was quiet, some even holding his breath. Shikamaru frowned, this wasn't good. Then the man continued after sharing eye contact with everybody in the room. "And recently, there has been an attack on our own Kazekage."

Shikamaru now understood the silences: the man had already decided what would be best for the villages, and was very skilled at convincing others. He didn't expect the following sentence though.

"My allies, you know this means war."

It was silent for a moment, and then every single member of the council started expressing different reasons. If they had been loud before he had said this, they were possibly even louder than before. War was word that people hated: They were alright with violence as long as the same things would happen but there was no downright proclamation of war. Shikamaru just frowned though and waited what the man had to say.

The man spoke suddenly, and all sound died as he did. "My friends, you are merely afraid of the word war." He said again, holding his right hand up to emphasis the words as his eyes spoke passion in a way Shikamaru didn't know. "But war, in a good cause, is not the greatest evil which a nation can suffer. War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war is worse."

"However, my allies, this doesn't have to mean that we should go to war against the Akatsuki. This doesn't have to have negative consequences for us. As long as we stay in control."

The entire room was quiet again, taking in the every word from old man as if he was a god. He seemed to know the art of speaking, or rather by manipulating a crowd. Shikamaru was somewhat surprised to see Kakashi drop his book, and motion his students to stay quiet.  
"When our people are used as mere human instruments for throwing kunai or making hits in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, it degrades a people. However.." The man paused, and Shikamaru could already guess his words. He saw Gaara grit his teeth. "..Sometimes, in a war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice – a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice – it is often necessary, the means of our rejuvenation."

He stopped and Shikamaru felt again that the entire room were releasing a breath. Then Gaara spoke, calm, his voice however was strong and almost with venom. "Only a fool or a fraud talks tough or romantically about war. Turning people into instruments of war… I am a living example of how far it can go."

An elder woman from Konoha, spoke. "But are you not the Kazekage? Becoming an instrument of war, as you call it, brought you to greater heights, and protected your city from more than one disaster."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "Have you forgotten, dear elder, how I was before I was forced to see reason? Have you forgotten how I rampaged through your village and slaughtered some of your men?" He asked her, but the woman didn't really seem taken aback. Of course, for her, what were a few 'causalities'? If Gaara hadn't gone berserk and ruined the plan prematurely, Sound and Suna might have won. No, Shikamaru realized, the woman didn't mind at all, and it pained Shikamaru that he could see truth in her logic.

"She is right, Kazekage-sama. Without the power granted to you by your father, the power of a jinchuuriki, a human sacrifice, both Konoha and Suna would have lost much more innocent lives. Are you not a Shinobi? Sadly, death and horror is part of the job description." The Suna council member was up for the challenge, apparently, if Gaara's eyes spoke volumes. Hinata, who was sitting beside him, seemed to be the only person in the room who wasn't focused on the speaker, and Shikamaru began to see why she, of all people, had been chosen to be Konoha's ambassador.

The man didn't seem to notice the way Hinata calmed Gaara.  
"A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. Maybe it is cruel to force one person into a premature death, but if it secures the safety of hundreds, or even thousands, it is a necessary sacrifice." He spoke slowly again, gaining followers with every word. The public opinion was shifting. This was the game of politics. "As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever-renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need is, to do battle for the one against the other."

Many nodded in agreement, among them a few Konoha council members.

Gaara wouldn't have it though. "I have seen war." He said, and everybody suddenly focused their attention on him, but he continued unfazed. "I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."

"Who doesn't, Kazekage-sama?" A councilmember from Konoha said suddenly. "Are you implying that we want war for the sake of war? Because that is not the case. You and I both know that Konoha and Suna have both been confused for war hungry countries in the past. We created this alliance to get rid of that bloody past, and change our countries and reputations for the better."

She took a deep breath and cleared her voice before continuing. "The reason of this meeting is to decide our advice to our Kages, as the allied states of Fire and Wind. Let us choose for freedom and peace, because we can't gain it through sitting here and talking, but taking the lead for once."

Shikamaru noted that it seemed very contradicting to her earlier statements, and the Kazekage seemed to have picked that up as well, but Hinata's hand on his just out of sight kept his anger at bay.

The council member from Suna, that Shikamaru had now dubbed as the council member with the fancy clothes, agreed. "We make war so that we may live in peace."

An opinion that seemed to wake some other's as well. "No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare." Kakashi said. "I am not against war in general, but against an all out war. Preparing entire armies won't stop the Akatsuki, merely give way to others to follow in their footsteps as we destroy their homes in order to find them."

A Suna Jounin spoke this time. "The struggle against war, properly understood and executed, presupposes the uncompromising hostility of the proletariat and its organizations, always and everywhere." He said dismissively. "War isn't a good thing, but sometimes it is the only thing we can do. There will only be more terror if we allow them to grow even further!"

Shikamaru couldn't help but agree with him, like most of the others, but he knew just as well that what he was saying wasn't quite the truth.

"Therefore, whoever wishes for peace, let him prepare for war!" The councilmember with the fancy clothes said, twisting whatever statement he could get. He seemed to have most of the people agreeing with him. "There are always casualties in war, gentlemen — otherwise it wouldn't be war. It'd just be a rather nasty argument with lots of pushing-and-shoving."

Shikamaru was done analyzing the man. He was obviously very skilled, but also bend on war, a quick Blitzkrieg, destroying everything in its path for the sake of continuity of the village hidden in the sand, proud and ignorant enough to believe that he would succeed. He appeared very passionate and forgiving, and just because he called for war didn't mean he was an evil man. He was probably just very conservative, and didn't intend changing his policy just because some group was threatening his way of living. He was, as Tenzou would call him, a good man with false ideals. In other words: good riddance.

"There is no need to declare war." Gaara tried one more time, but he was overruled.

"Yeah!" Sakura, of all people, suddenly shouted. Team 7 seemed to share his opinion, but that didn't seem to work in Gaara's favor. The councilman with the fancy clothes didn't.

"You are still children." The Suna councilmember said, shaking his head ever so slightly. "You have not seen the face of war, you haven't experienced it's horrors nor it's triumphs. You don't know war, you wouldn't understand it."

The room seemed to agree with the man and forgot his argument. They weren't interested in his opinion anymore, due to team 7's almost childish support that had made his opinion seem unfounded and invalid. Gaara was seething with anger in his seat, and Shikamaru couldn't help but pity the guy.

He was no fool at politics. Just because he held the highest rank, didn't mean that he had the final word. No, he just bore the responsibility of choice that wasn't even his own. The man with the false ideals opened his mouth to say something, but Shikamaru didn't hear it as he suddenly felt a kunai coming at him with the intend to kill. He jumped out of the way without a second thought, landing on the street. So much for his disguise.

Just after he hit the ground, he fell again. Hard. But he didn't just fall, he was swept of his feet, and not just by anything: by a fan hitting his ankles. Hard to avoid when you're lost in thoughts. Tenzo-sensei would have his ass for it, but he decided to focus on his attacker instead.

A voice doomed up from beind him. "Who are you and why were you eavesdropping into the meeting?"

A woman, with a giant tessen. Really, it could only be one person. Somebody Shikamaru didn't know for attacking from behind. Maybe she was always this way to strangers, or she just had something against ANBU. He played along. "I apologize, I was merely making sure my objective, Miss Hyuuga, remained safe. My name is Raiu."

"A Konoha ANBU, I see. Subaku no Temari." She introduced herself, unknowingly for the second time. It hadn't become any less cocky, he noted though. "That still gives you no excuse for spying on our Kazekage."

"Sweet" He said, turning around again. "Now if you don't mind…" He didn't want to pick a fight with Temari.

He didn't know why he even expected her to let him leave. She didn't like losing and she didn't like being ignored. Really, he shouldn't have been surprised when he was swept of his feet by a powerful gust of wind.

"Your performance is weak, boy."She taunted. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you for attempted murder of the Kazekage."

He stood up, gracefully. Though his facial expression wasn't exactly pretty, not that she could see it with the mask on, but still. "We are allies. There is no need for Konoha to break that alliance." This time he didn't turn around and give her the advantage of attacking his back, but spread his legs ever so slightly, getting into battle position without making it painfully obvious.

Temari smirked. He knew she was enjoying it. 'Troublesome woman, why do you have to be so dangerous?'

Before he was even done thinking that, she was already preparing the next attack, apparently not believing a word of what he was saying. A fight was inevitable.

His mind started running. This was Temari: a Jounin-level kunoichi of Sunagakure, not a random objective. He couldn't use all his jutsu, he had to stick to standard ANBU stuff in order to maintain his identity. A genjutsu was out of the question: all his genjutsu were highly offensive, something not fit against an ally. Many of his Ninjutsu would be over the top as well: they were killing moves, not made for a spar. So he would have to rely on his Taijutsu – his worst skill – and the basic ANBU moves like the Kanashibari no Jutsu and maybe his katana.

The problem: everything was short to mid-range. A lethal zone when it came to Temari. That, and she was a keen analyst, and can easily deduce an opponent's strategies and weaknesses. She probably already knew an ANBU's weaknesses.

But he knew hers just as well, if not better.

She didn't give him much more time to analyze. But a second had been enough, he had formed a plan. The only thing he needed now was some time. 'Her tessen will strike in three, two, one…'

'Now.' And that, she swung her fan at him with great strength and hit just where he stood.

Well, it would've hit if he hadn't used the time to jump out of the way. She swung her fan again, now this time closer to him, and tried to hit him with it again. The movement was much faster than he remembered from the chuunin exam, but he was still able to dodge it by jumping to the left.

"Stop avoiding me, boy. Doesn't Konoha preach the will of fire?" She stopped momentary to yell at him. It was just a second, but it was long enough. He jumped over her this time to avoid the incoming hit and landed just behind her, kicking her shoulder hard in the progress.

She immediately lowered to the ground after the hit. "So you actually _can_ fight!" She said, and swung her fan around in an attempt to hit his ankles and sweep him of his feet. He jumped out of her reach just in time.

He landed in front of her, but just out of reach of her attacks. "Just because I don't like to fight, doesn't mean I can't." He replied, starting to sound cocky as well. She took their distance to take the time to open her fan, revealing all tree the moons, meaning it was at full strength. In a strong motion, she created a whirlwind. Shikamaru dodged. Or, so he thought.

Instead he fell. Hard. The surge of wind had been a little bit stronger than he had originally expected it to be, he thought as he lay dazed for a split second. He got up again, and calculated her next strike. Her wind manipulation was obviously much stronger than it had been before. The only way now was up. Thank Kami he was good at air attacks.

With another jump, he jumped a little bit higher, avoiding another whirlwind in the progress. But this time he didn't fall, but landed on top of her fan. It was probably a hilarious sight to behold. Temari seemed slightly startled by the unexpected movement. Before she had the chance to throw him off her fan, he kicked her in the chest, sending her against a wall in the progress.

She hit the sand stone wall with a sound, but that was not the sound that brought him out of his concentration.

Shikamaru was momentarily distracted by the shouts that emanated from the rapidly growing crowd in streets. He suddenly remembered they were not fighting in some training ground or in the chuunin stadium, but in an average street, with houses and stores, and let's not forget: people. He expected scolding, but he was proven wrong. Cheers of encouragement erupted from the crowd so loud that his attention was momentarily called away from the fight. A lethal mistake in battle. His sensei would have his ass for it. Temari's fan swept out in a wide, graceful art, connecting with his shoulder, throwing him off balance. He fell ungracefully, flat on his back, sucking in deep breaths of air from the pain.

He had his head straight with just enough time to roll away from something that could have possibly ended this fight and his life permanently: Temari's leg. Avoiding another kick from the left, he used the slight opening in her defenses to deliver a kick of his own, getting back on his feet in the same movement.

The next three minutes continued at the same pace: They would dodge each other's attacks until either one of them took a hit, and the other made a counter attack. The battle went on in a blur, and Shikamaru found himself unable to recall why his leg was bleeding as he stood with cold indifference at his loss. She had taken some good hits as well, and blood was staining her battle kimono.

The crowd growing and kept cheering louder with each hit, and it seemed the group was already dividing and picking sides. While regaining some distance between them, he unshed his katana. It was time they started playing on equal ground, after all.

He remembered his first lesson: don't swing around, make every strike count. He reappeared in front of her with a speed he hadn't used before and a sudden _Ting!_ made the crowd grow quiet. She had dodged his blade just in time with her tessen, but he could see in her eyes, now he stood so close to her, that she hadn't expected the katana nor the speed.

His speed and her short moment of immobility gave him just enough time to kick her ankles, throwing her on the ground for once. His strategy was based on time. He had known she had no idea how fast ANBU were, and since Tenzo-sensei had drilled speed in him like a tyrant, he was even faster. All this time, he had waited until he had an opening to unshed his katana and strike, but doing it so that she wouldn't expect him to be this quick. He had to deceive her, simply put.

She was quick to recover, though. Slightly irritated as well, it seemed. She raced forward and charged him with her fan.

_Clang!_

_Ding!_

_Ting!_

_Clank!_

The sound of a metal against metal filled the streets as the crowd watched silently. Swords weren't common in Suna, so for a population that loves fighting this was a great opportunity to watch a battle between steel.

With renewed fervor, she used her fan as a club and dueled his katana as a sword. A very large and dangerous sword.

He figured she had decided the best defense was attack. She was strong, and her fan was huge and heavy. Her hits didn't cut, but they hurt a lot more.

However, there was one problem with fighting with something as heavy as her tessen: it made your movements slower. After one particular large swing, he took his chance and jumped up , out of the way of her attack.

If he had stood in front of her he would've seen her eyes widen. But he didn't because he suddenly doomed up behind her. In one fluid movement his blade was against her neck, drawing some blood from the small cut. All their movements stilled as he breathed three little words in her ear.

"_Come with me."_

Then she hung her head down slightly: the sign she admitted defeat, that this trilling, troublesome fight was finally over.

It was as if the entire crowd had been holding their breath during the entire fight, and when it ended, released it together with Shikamaru. It was as if all tension was suddenly gone. People started to talk again, reliving the battle with each other, disappearing slowly from the streets.

Temari didn't protest when Shikamaru used shunshin on both of them, transported them back on the roof of the building with a clear view of the converance hall where a battle of politics was still raging.

He reappeared in front of her and smirked cocky. And although she couldn't see it behind his mask, he was certain she knew it. She wasn't exceptionally happy she had lost, but she didn't seem unhappy either.

A strange smile appeared on her face. It confused him.

"I'm sorry for the fight, and I'm sorry for the confusion. I assure you that I intend no harm towards Suna or it's Kazekage."

"Save your bullshit for another time. I know exactly what your real orders were. And I can't blame Konoha for wanting to gain a reliable report on the meeting. That Hyuuga girl is too weak to do her duty and I don't need to see Kakashi's report to know it would be too biased."

"So basicly you were planning to do the exact same thing as me, but when you saw me sitting here and taking up the obviously perfect spot, you tried to scare me off by challenging me into a fight?" Shikamaru deducted, and Temari just blinked, not even that surprised that he had figured it out in so little time. "Why didn't you just ask? We are allies, as I mentioned before we wasted time and energy. My country doesn't only preach the will of fire, but also teamwork."

"I guess a little part of my soul believed that there might have been a chance that you could harm my little brother. It's part of being an older sister, I guess."

He wasn't thrown off by her remark, though slightly flattered. He still wanted to know though. "Now tell me why you were so persistent to fight me?"

"You tell me, genius." She said, the mysterious smile bordering to a triumphant one this time, but still plastered on her face. "I'm not naïve like those children that you call your colleagues. No better way to find out how a clock ticks than to hit it a few times. I won't just trust anybody with a leaf Hitai-ate."

They settled in silence after that, but Shikamaru has some trouble in focusing on the meeting with Temari sitting next to him after everything that had just transpired between them. For him it was not normal to go from fighting to friends in a minute, and it left Shikamaru in a state of mild confusion. 'She sure is something' He thought about bringing it up, but immediately decided against it. One fight a day was more than enough. She wouldn't say anything more anyway, so why bother?

Besides, Tsunade would probably already kill him for 'picking a fight' with the Kazekage's sister, so if he wanted to live, he better not add another mistake to that list. Lesser fights equals lesser spectators equals a smaller change of the news reaching the Hokage and therefore a higher survival chance for him.

He absentmindedly registered that the crowd beneath them were talking about gory details with each other, and it was only when one of them mention the liquid, that he noticed that he was bleeding. He examined his wound: they weren't that bad. It had been obvious during the fight that neither of them had been even close to going all out, but still, there had been some damage on both sides.  
While applying some basic medical jutsu on his wounds, he was surprised to find himself looking forward to their next fight. It confused him.  
A worthy challenge indeed.

He was brought out of his musings when Temari started cursing. "I'm starting to hate that man."

Shikamaru arched an eyebrow, though that wasn't visible behind his mask. "That man…?"

"The one who is speaking now." She explained, and motioned him to be quiet.

It seemed that the man with the false ideals who's words had bothered Shikamaru before also irked Temari.

"War is not a pathology that, with proper hygiene and treatment, can be wholly prevented." He said, drawing all eyes on himself. If this had been a fight, he was now preparing for the final blow. Shikamaru had a feeling that he had missed out on something. "War is a natural condition of the State, which was organized in order to be an effective instrument of violence on behalf of society. Wars are like deaths, which, while they can be postponed, will come when they will come and cannot be finally avoided."

Gaara kept silent, slightly at the loss of words, though not entirely defeated. The man smirked slightly before concluding his speech. "Therefore, we must declare war now, for postponing will only make things worse. War, my allies, is inevitable."

"He goes under the name of Bakari Kahaku **(1)**, and he is one of the most important men in Suna." Temari whispered during the man's pause. "I don't like him though, he doesn't fight. He can talk very convincingly though."

He grunted. "I noticed."

"But still, you weren't deceived." She countered, slowing her pace to look him in the eye, which was kind of hard to do through the tiny holes in the mask. _"_That, the fact that you can see through his seemingly noble and 'good' words_, _makes you quite smart."

"Why thank you." He muttered back sarcastically, yet somehow it made him able to focus better on the conversation beneath them.

"Like I said before" Gaara said, once again drawing all attention on him. "There is no need to declare war."

"Like _I _said before, you are too young to understand war. It could walk right in front of you and you wouldn't recognize it." The man said, sternly, as if scolding a young child. "If you wish for peace, understand war."

The man made a valid point, and somehow the words reminded him of a hit by Temari's fan. He remembered to get up and jump quickly, avoiding the next attack and launching one of his own. He hoped Gaara had sparred once with his sister, but he doubted it.

It surprised both of them when Hinata suddenly raised her voice.

"Since I am an immature and naïve young woman, war and unrest appeal less to me than peace and order." She replied without making it seem mockingly, mimicking Bakari Kahaku's behavior from earlier by making a small pause, making people wait for his words and savor every one of them. Shikamaru knew that they had not expected her to use the other's accusations to her own advantage, or speak for that matter. But Hinata came from a clan were internal battle was as common as breathing and just like in a physical battle, you must dodge your enemies attack from whatever position you're in. Even if that meant overcoming your pride sometimes. "But even as an inexperienced child, I can see something. Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die."

At the end people stared at her, some surprised, others skeptic and a few expectant. Even Shikamaru and Temari were surprised, but the way a smile was creeping up his 'ally's' face made Shikamaru feel once again like he was missing out on something.

Hinata seemed a little bit too self-conscious, but looked Bakari Kahaku directly in the eye nevertheless. A challenge? The man didn't seem fazed though, only slightly irritated.

The woman from the Council of Konoha spoke first though. " I agree with you girl." She said, and Shikamaru was slightly irritated that she was trying to bend poor Hinata's statement in her advantage. "I am sick and tired of war. It's glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither killed a man nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell."

Gaara seemed about to tell her that she misunderstood, that she was twisting her words, but a sign from Kakashi kept him quiet: He would handle the woman.

He cleared her voice and spoke with fierce determination. "I agree with Hinata-san as well, but not with you." He said, and many looked at him bewildered. "It takes two sides to make war. It only takes one side to make a massacre. In a certain way, there is no way around this war, this bloodshed. However, as Kazekage-san tried to say in the last meeting, there is no need to _declare_ war."

Apparently Kakashi had instructed Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto to remain quiet unless he signaled them, because they seemed to watch his every movement in the hope of a sign. They kept quiet though. Bakari spoke."I agree on the first part. There is no way around war if we want to survive, but is it is necessary to act nevertheless. What do you mean to do?"

When Kakashi was about to explain what they meant, but somebody else interrupted him.

"War does not end strife - it sows it. War does not end hatred - it feeds it." The Konoha Council woman obviously didn't agree with Kakashi. "For those who argue war is a necessary evil, I say you are half right. War is evil, but it is not necessary. War cannot be a necessary evil, because non-violence is a necessary good. The two cannot co-exist."

The councilmember from Konoha had interrupted him. Shikamaru suddenly understood something. Kakashi could have cut her off, but didn't. I remembered him ofsomething from his training: _'Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.' _Even if said mistake ironically was an interruption. So Kakashi let the woman continue digging her own grave.

"There is always an enemy to fight." He said when she finished speaking. "Today we have to fight. Doing nothing will destroy us, and there is nothing to argue about that. But we don't have to declare war. We could also try to take them down one by one, instead of creating battlefields. Elite troops taking down Akatsuki one by one."

He heard Temari snorting besides him, but waited for the woman's defense. "You say that war is not necessary, but the problem is that if we don't act now, _they _will start a war. And they will not think about the families who will be left behind, or the bloodshed they will cause. They will go for destruction. So in order to avoid it, we must not use it ourselves, but nevertheless act!"

"You cannot kill evil without evil, the only way to do so is from within." The elder said, not wavering from her point.

"That woman is a fool, for the right purposes though." He muttered.

"Yes, I can see that she obviously has seen many wars, and turns a blind eye to the need to protect ourselves in order to preserve the peace." Temari muttered in agreement "A noble but foolish goal. I hate politics though. Everybody has their own agenda."

Shikamaru was about to retort, but then out of the blue, Sasuke spoke. "Then why won't we do that?" He said, looking her in the eye with a killer intent Shikamaru hadn't seen him direct at someone in a long time. He was dead serious, and it was obvious that Kakashi was not pleased with his pupil.

Some people tried to ask what they meant, but the two of them continued just looking at each other with obvious disgust that Shikamaru couldn't quite place. Eventually the woman averted her eyes.

It was Sasuke who spoke again. "If we want to prevent death by war, than what is a little sacrifies, right?" His words contained a cynical venom, and no one even dared to interrupt the frightening 15 year-old. Kakashi kept quiet though he didn't look exactly pleased, but Naruto and Sakura seemed to know exactly where he was talking about, he figured by the way they glared just as hard at the woman.

The starting continued, and gave Shikamaru the time to over think Sasuke's words. 'Akatsuki... Uchiha Sasuke is angry, Sakura and Naruto support him fully, yet Kakashi doesn't. The councilwoman seems to know something that can't be said out loud…'His mind came up with several conclusions, but none of them seemed logical.

It was kind of ironical though. "It is funny to see them argue against war."

Temari averted her eyes from the conversation to loch hers with his, confused. "Why? Nobody likes war and bloodshed that much."

"Team 7 does." Shikamaru deadpanned. "They might not take pleasure from the killing itself, but it is what they do. I don't think they even realize that they were born for warfare."

Temari's eyebrow ached up in a demanding fashion. "It's what we all do, we are shinobi, we kill people for a living."

"They don't kill people, they defeat nameless beings." Shikamaru explained, not meeting her searching eyes. She could see his eyes behind his mask, but that didn't mean that he would give her the pleasure of eye contact. She wouldn't understand anyway, nobody did. "I have seen them fight once, they count their kills during battle like they are playing a game. It's cruel and yet so innocent."

"I guess that's how you call a true child of war." Temari mused silently to his surprise, sounding slightly awed and a bit disgusted. "And if it is true what you say, than that explains why Kakashi isn't really using his name to make sure there won't be a war. We both know he could do it."

Shikamaru just shrugged. "He is obviously more than willing to fight another war." They paused to watch Kakashi do nothing to help his students, which he could have easily done. Temari was right, even Kakashi had his own agenda. "And I thought I was twisted."

"'Makes you feel better?" He heard a soft, amused chuckle escape his companion, but didn't join her.

"No, because this is what we all could become in just a matter of time." He said, dead serious, and Temari's joy vanished as well as he spoke. "But look at them, they are smiling, interacting like a tight happy family. Maybe losing your humanity isn't as bad as they say, it just doesn't fit in our countries' propaganda."

The war of words raged on beneath them, but both of them were losing their focus. Shikamaru understood why Tsunade had send team 7: to intimidate Suna with their power. Be it the strength of their passion, or their ability in combat.

Temari nodded solemnly, not one to deny a good statement. "I guess you're right, but it doesn't feel okay."

"Then let's promise never to let it get that far."

It didn't matter that they didn't even know each other that well. Shikamaru was pretty sure that by now Temari had either recognized him to some extent, or accepted him as a partner in their 'mission', and it felt nice and safe. They were both human, and both smart enough to see the world be fooled around them. They were both young, without any influence but with ideals, as twisted as they may be.

It didn't matter that they didn't know each other before this. When he heard Temari mutter 'I promise', he knew it wasn't only a promise to him, but also to herself. Because in the end, a shinobi was only true to himself.

Their musings and strange intimacy was broken when Sasuke and the councilwoman were taking their fight to new proportions. Sasuke's fists were balled and his words had lost any tact they had held before. The woman's arms were crossed, defensively.

She spoke "So we will be sending people to a certain death by infiltrating? Akatsuki is strong, even if a small squad would be able to take down one member, another one would take them out. It would kill our defenses if we would feed them our ninja's like that."

It was obvious that Sasuke in particular was not pleased with the woman, and this was definitely not what he had meant, but she wasn't an experienced politician for nothing; turning around statements was something that had to come like a second nature for her by now.

However, she had unknowingly given Kakashi a chance now. "I am not talking about sending ninja to them at random, nor did I hint that we should throw all our forces into the fight."

"He is right." Gaara said, looking at him for a split second before addressing the crowd.  
Shikamaru saw an understanding look passing between them, signaling that they had a plan. "Anything but small operations would merely weaken our defenses and give them an advantage to strike from behind. We should not create bloody battlefields as seen in the past Great Shinobi War nor wait for them to attack us, because we will be crushed."

Bakari Kahaku decided to speak, and although Gaara held quite the air of authority, it couldn't match his. "So then, what do you propose, my lord?" He said, addressing him as a superior in a way of mocking him.

It obviously annoyed Temari to no end, but Gaara remained professional on the outside. "Instead we should send small squads, trained to counter exactly the attacks of the Akatsuki member they track. That way we avoid public problems but eliminate the thread of Akatsuki."

Kakashi's plan obviously was working out too, for he spoke too eagerly after that statement. "That is why they will have to drive the two members apart, so they can fight them separately. A small group of, let's say four shinobi, would be able to take them down much easier than half an army." It was painfully obvious what he implied, and Shikamaru resisted the urge the wince at his uncharacteristic lack of tact.

"Such missions could maybe only provide us some time, and in the worst case it would downright backstab us. Small groups might not be enough." Bakari spoke, smiling kindly at Kakashi although Shikamaru couldn't quite trust his smile to be true.

The woman who had been practically silenced by Sasuke spoke again. "Still, who would volunteer for such a mission? It is almost cruel to send one to a certain death without any result." The councilwoman looked kind of smug, knowing that one of the requirements of becoming a politician was to value your own life to some extent.

However, she had overestimated the sanity of team 7. "We would!" Naruto announced to the room, and Kakashi looked smug as well, for obvious reasons.

Some people, who didn't know them, laughed. Others looked at them incredulously, as if doubting their state of mind. "You?" Someone asked. Naruto, who had spoken, motioned his team, and Sakura waved back rudely. "Yes, team 7. You've got a problem with that?"

The councilwoman seemed close to livid. "Sending a Jinchuuriki right into Akatsuki's arms… is madness!" She practically screamed.

And though Shikamaru thought it was kind of amusing in a very dangerous way, he couldn't stop himself from hoping somebody would interfere before nobody would take them seriously anymore. He had a vague idea what a jinchuuriki was, and he'd rather not spend the rest of the meeting discussing that. Luckily, Kakashi interfered. "You underestimate my team, Utatane-san. They are very capable of doing their job."

"They are mere Genin!" It was obvious that Utatane was not aware of team 7's achievements. But then again, somehow nobody in Konoha seemed aware of it.

"But their skill level exceeds most Jounin."

"I would." He looked up to his right, his glance questioning Temari's statement.

She glared back at him defiantly. "For me, there is a lot more at stake than for an ANBU like you. If they'd just let me attend to that fucking meeting, I would be able to help them."

"Why weren't you invited, then?"Shikamaru asked.

"Because only one of Gaara's advisors is allowed to be there. Today was Kankurou's turn, the guy with the purple make up to his left. But did you hear him speak even once? He might as well missed out on it." She raised her voice to a level that made her sound like a bitter bitch that wanted revenge, and Shikamaru assumed that spying on the meeting was her way of taking it. He wanted to ask something when suddenly someone in the room voiced that Bakari was gone.

Shikamaru cursed himself for being so distracted by his companion not to notice it. But he had little time to berate himself because a man stormed into the room, screaming. A deafening scream and desperate words that Shikamaru could barely hear. Suddenly everybody seemed to forget what they were doing or what they were meant to do, and panic arose.

Many started to talk loudly and nobody could really understand each other. Until Kakashi yelled at the top of his lungs. "SILENCE!"

All movements stilled.

However, he had no more time to keep the quiet. Suddenly the sound of explosions came from every direction, and Shikamaru could see from his position that every gate had been blown up at the same time.

"Shit." He cursed, as he felt himself being transported off the roof not a second to late. The roof that they had previously occupied was ripped of the building by a magnificent explosion. He could barely hear the panic on the streets as his ears ringed from the loud boom that went along with it. The smoke clouded the streets and the sky, but they didn't keep Shikamaru from picking up the trace of a small messenger bird.

"Thanks." He muttered to Temari, who had saved them just in time.

"No problem." She said, not really looking at him, but checking her equipment. Other than her fan and a few shuriken, she was unarmed, and Shikamaru had not much more than his sword. This did not seem to stop Temari from preparing herself for combat. "Now return the favor and help me. Follow me!"

Shikamaru stopped her before she ran off. "This is obviously a distraction." He said, sending her a meaningful glance.

"So you are implying that…?" She muttered, cursing under her breath.

"Yes." Shikamaru nodded, and faltered his grip on her arm. "We have to locate your brother and Naruto right now." He said with finality.

They shared a short glance before Temari took the lead and ran into the still smoking ruin that once had been a prestigious building.

* * *

By the time that he and Temari had found Kankurou, standing somewhere out of the village at a bloody battlefield, there wasn't a trace of Gaara. Kankurou told them how a white bird had suddenly appeared out of the smoking roof, paralyzed Gaara and taken him away. He shared a look with Temari, who, unlike most of the others, seemed to have regained her calm. She nodded.

He motioned Team 7, who had arrived shortly before him, towards them and gathered the six of them out of hearing range of the riot that was starting to form. Over there, they formulated a plan, while others just randomly chased the dot in the air that grew smaller and smaller, as it flew away.

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However, something else flew away from Suna without them knowing. A messenger hawk made its way towards Konoha, a declaration of war against Akatsuki within his strong claws. Nothing seemed to stop him from flying at high speed towards his objective. His keen eyes spotted tree after tree when he neared the village within the Leaf, seeing them increase with every mile he covered.

And then, suddenly, he felt a throbbing pain in his stomach and he saw no more. He fell mid-flight.

The dead bird was skillfully caught by a lion that seemed to have been drawn to life.

- To be Continued -

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**Notes:**

**_Bakari Kahaku_** means 'only words' or 'merely speech'. Yes, I translated it myself, so no comments. I just wanted to make a pun. I would love to tell you who he is, but all I can really say is that he is not an OC.

**_Adolf Hitler: _**I quoted him at least three times in this fic already, but you'll never expect the lines to be his. I did this on purpose, because though he was evil, he was a master at manipulating in politics. At first, his words don't seem wrong, and that's why he came so far. That's just a history fact, because I am a history geek. I also quoted Churchill and Ghandi, and a few others. It took me some time to make sure their words don't fall out of the storyline, but I think I succeeded. Adding stuff like this makes my inner geek happy, so I can go back at being superficial. ( XD )

**_Shikamaru's fighting style:_** As you might have noticed, Shikamaru jumps a lot. Why is that? Because he uses speed and kicks in Taijutsu, and it's easier to do so when you jump. He hardly ever punches or uses his fist, because it brings his body too close to his opponent. The opponent would be able to hit him faster if he comes too close to him, and time is what Shikamaru needs the most. He needs time to think and analyze, which is the reason why he chooses speed and kicking over strong series of punches. He isn't exceptionally strong, an ANBU doesn't need to be. Flexibility and speed are a lot more important. As you saw, Shikamaru used no jutsu in this fight. Mostly because he didn't have time for it, or it would either give him away or kill her on the spot. (he's an assassin, he wasn't made for a friendly spar) His Kenjutsu style, in the end is important, though. Think of him as a thunderstorm, that's where I based his movements on when it comes to kenjutsu. Shikamaru had the upper hand on Temari with Kenjutsu, but Temari could beat him in Taijutsu. I hope I explained everything thoroughly.

His ninjutsu and genjutsu style will be revealed later.

**_The meeting and political games: _**As you have seen, the 'councilman with the fancy clothes' played quite a few games. By romanticizing war, he justifies it. The Konoha councilmember played on other's feelings to convince them to do nothing. In politics, it's about action-reaction. People shape their opinions, and are forced to believe they have to choose either side. Shikamaru explained a few tricks during the chapter but not nearly all have been mentioned. I didn't go too far with the political shit, because not everybody enjoys it as much as I do. Many of you might not get the point of the meeting, but you (might) will in the future.

Also, a little note on my request in the previous chapter. When I say that I want reviews, I don't mean that I want 10 messages in my inbox saying: Update now. Thanks for the support, and yes, it helps, but what I want is your opinion. One person telling giving me a good review is worth so much more than 20 short ones.

**Perfection isn't a road, it's a collaboration**. Only with your opinion I can make this story a good one.

If you liked or hated a particular part, or have an idea for the story, tell me so. I need to know if I get the point of this story across, especially in the earliest stages.

… Though still, thanks for reviewing. It brightens my day.

EDIT: Forget I ever complained about you, I love you! I got 4 amazing, constructive reviews in one day! That is more than I aim for! THANK YOU!


	6. Chasing Another Past

Beta'd by Evercold, written by Ellisama, fueled by ramen… Oh wait. No.

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**Chapter 6: Chasing Another Past**

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He had crossed these sands many times, but the desert was so huge, the horizon so distant, it made him feel as small as he felt the first time he set foot on the landscape. The way dawn colored the desert's dunes red and blended the sand with the trees that became more and more frequent as they kept running towards a dot in the air, almost made him forget why he was here in the first place.

Keyword: _Almost._

Shikamaru jumped from branch to branch to move through the landscape that was changing before his eyes, bringing him closer to home but most of all closer to the white dot in the sky that they were chasing. Temari was next to him, behind him Kakashi and somewhat in front of them ran Kankurou and Naruto, who seemed to get more and more desperate with every passing second, judging from the way they sped up every now and then. Sasuke and Sakura were just behind them, trying to keep both of them in line.

Shikamaru wasn't complaining about the speed, well not more than usual at least, since it was slower than his usual tempo. However, he knew that while Temari and Kankurou would be able to keep up easily, team 7 was trained in heavy combat that didn't require speed at all. If they kept this up, they might not be fit enough to battle Akatsuki when the time came.

That and Shikamaru figured it was only a matter of seconds before Naruto lost his temper.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled when he sped up for what seemed the tenth time that minute. "What did we _just_ say? Stick together-" But she was cut off when Naruto lost his temper.

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS!"He yelled, and suddenly all other sounds in the forest seemed to fade away. Shikamaru stared curiously at Naruto's back, very much like the rest of their little squad. "I just can't! I know why they're after Gaara and me!"

Next to him he saw Temari's eyes widen, and he realized his own probably had widened as well. _'How does Naruto know Akatsuki's agenda?'_ He thought, while jumping a little faster to the next branch in order to keep up with the pace Naruto's anger was dedicating. In the process, he caught a glimpse of Kakashi's face, set in a sorrowful understanding he couldn't quite grasp.

"Usuratonkashi," Sasuke called after Naruto, obviously starting to get angry because Naruto still wouldn't listen. "If we want to help him, than we actually need to stick to the plan!"

However, Naruto didn't' listen, and just kept running, leaving Kankurou slightly behind him. "Gaara and I are the same, or rather, Gaara is like me." He said, more calm this time, though the rage was still evident in his voice. "He is a Jinchuuriki, too. We both have monsters locked inside us. That's what those guys are after!"

His calculating mind drank those words like water_. 'So that's what they meant with Jinchuuriki, during the meeting.'_ He thought, pushing the shock of hearing one of his friends wasn't exactly human into the back of his mind in order to continue the mission. Rule #21: A Ninja must not let his emotions hinder him doing his job. But still, the missing puzzle piece was treasured. _'And that time during the Chuunin exam, in the hospital. That's what they were referring to. The hostility of my parents, or rather the entire village. It all makes sense now.'_

" I... HATE IT!"He was brought out of his pondering as Naruto cried out loud. "They just see us as monsters!"

Next to him, Temari also seemed to have a newfound respect for Naruto as she was sulking in sympathy for either Naruto or Gaara, and he swore he could hear her whisper a small 'thank you'.

Sakura and Sasuke on the other hand remained silent, seemingly not shocked at all. Shikamaru was not surprised by this either. Team 7 was by far the closest team of entire Konoha, and Shikamaru was now more certain than ever that one of the things that bound them together was their secrets.

"I…. didn't know there were others." Said Sakura, out of the blue. This seemed to wake Sasuke up as her words cut through the heavy silence. He looked behind him, searching eye contact with his sensei and receiving permission for whatever he was planning. He then shared a knowing look with Sakura before he sped up in order to run next to Naruto, who was putting more and more distance between them with every passing second.

"Dobe," He said, using an insult in a rather affectionate way and forcing his friend to look him in the eye. Naruto seemed to avoid his gaze, judging from the positions Sasuke had to take in order to succeed.

When he did, they didn't speak, but judging from their turned faces, he could swear they were having a conversation without words, something Shikamaru didn't expect a loudmouth like Naruto to be capable of. Apparently, Naruto was losing their argument, as he shouted his defense out loud.

"He's being dragged away by Akatsuki!" He yelled, speeding up once more. "And do you know what will happen when they succeed?"

"Naruto!" Kakashi suddenly interjected, as if to warn him not to continue. Apparently, they weren't supposed to know just what would happen if Akatsuki would succeed, and not even Sakura and Sasuke were aware of it. However, stubborn as always, he continued nevertheless.

"They will suck us dry of all our chakra, effectively sucking the demon out of us and killing us in the most gruesome way! Do you think I will let that happen?" He snapped angry at Sasuke, who in turn missed a branch in shock.

Uchihas had amazing eyes, and Shikamaru wondered if the ability to visualize anything on the spot was also one of their many abilities. Even if it wasn't, his ANBU training in reading facial expressions told him one thing, that Sasuke was dead afraid of losing a loved one again.

"Then," Kankurou spoke, having kept quiet during the entire conversation. "We can't waste time. This time, I want to save him from all this! He's been through enough in his life!"

And Shikamaru couldn't agree more. They sped up once again, and this time he let Naruto take the lead, keeping up with him as they came closer and closer to what had once been a little white dot in the sky. Because of all the revelations, none of them had really been paying attention to what they were actually chasing, not noticing it had become much closer to the white dot in the sky, that turned out to be a bird.

"We didn't speed up that much." Temari wondered out loud. Shikamaru nodded, noticing the now obvious outlines of a bird with two men- no three men on top of it. They shared a glance, and then their eyes widened simultaneously. "That form… They are not moving."

"They are expecting us!" he yelled, getting everybody's attention. "They stopped moving! Be careful: it may be a trap. No matter how angry you are, stick to the plan!" Even Naruto and Kankurou seemed to obey his commands, but in order to make sure that they would contain themselves as well if they would come face to face with Akatsuki he took up his pace and took the lead.

"Remain in this position, _especially_ when we face Akatsuki." He yelled to the ones behind him, getting sulky confirmations back.

As they kept moving through the woods, he stopped as he came across an opening in the forest where Shikamaru immediately recognized the signs of battle. Several trees had been left with giant holes in them, others had been cut down completely. Though it seemed like it had happened a while back, seeing as the scars on the landscape seemed slightly weathered. However, when he heard a gasp from behind him, he focused his eyes to the centre of the area, and saw something that could be possibly mind shattering. Especially for a sibling.

In the middle of the opening, next to a enormous white bird who seemed to be made out of clay, lied a motionless person on his belly. It didn't take a genius to recognize the red hair and gourd strapped on said person's back.

"You!" He heard Naruto yell at the two other guys, dressed in the typical Akatsuki cloak that marked them as a member or the organization. "You are the Akatsuki!" He continued, stating the obvious.

The blonde one grinned. "That's right!" One blonde lock covered one of his eyes, though it something mechanic was still visible behind it. Something else that was rather striking was the fact he seemed to lack an arm. That and the he didn´t seem to miss or care about it. "My name is Deidara!"

"We don't care." Sasuke deadpanned, mocking the man with stoicism. "You are outnumbered. Just give us Gaara back, and we'll let you go."

"You are Itachi's little brother right? The resemblance is striking." He said, still grinning from ear to ear with that cocky grin, though it grew less sincere with every passing second. "Well, just because I'm not as smart as you Uchihas, doesn't mean I don't know you won't just let us go."

Sasuke stiffened slightly at the mention of his older brother, and didn't answer with anything else than a glare that would even send shivers to Shikamaru's spine.

Deidara was impressed as well, it seemed. "Oh, such malice! I like these eyes of his, Sasori! Makes me want to blow him up!"

The other man, who seemed to be called Sasori, just sighed, even if his expression didn't change that much. "Why did we let you join again?" He said, obviously not amused by his partners comments.

"I merely take on contracts to blow things up... with my art, that is, un!" He proclaimed happily, though with an insane shimmer in his eyes that made Shikamaru want to kill the man: there was no empathy for humanity in those eyes, whatsoever. _'Disgusting'_

"Your art?" Sakura asked, looking for something that resembled art. Deidara held a clay spider up for her to see.

"BEHOLD!" He yelled, throwing it up in the sky, while the little legs moved on its own and walked towards them as soon as it hit the ground. "Aren't you impressed? The product pursuing refined line work matched with two-dimensional deformation! Now _this_ is art! But my art doesn't end here!"

The clay model turned spider kept walking towards them, and Shikamaru didn't think it was a good thing. The thing didn't seem like it had some actual attack power, and it was too small to actually fire something that could do damage at them. So all that was left was either the function of a sensor, which made no sense because it was too big and they were standing right in front of them, or the function … of …

'_Makes you want to blow him up!'_

"EVERYBODY, GET AWAY FROM THAT THING! IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE" He yelled, and less than a second later the thing exploded, leaving a small crater behind and their formation broken. Which probably had been their plan all along. The blonde might wanted to give off the impression that he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but Shikamaru realized that this one shouldn't be underestimated.

The owner of the exploded spider didn't seem to mind his work of art was gone. Rather, he seemed to be ecstatic by its ending. "None of my works are static! When they have physical form, they're little more than models. And with that exploding effect, its essence is propelled to greatness, at that moment of becoming the true work of art I intended! And in that fleeting moment of grandeur that I see true art! Art is an explosion!" And he kept talking about the importance of the explosions and how his art was the only true art in this world, while the rest of the Gaara retrieval squad were still looking at him, as they returned to their formation.

'_He's insane!'_

His partner didn't seem phased at all though. Shikamaru almost pitied him for this unfortunate partner up. "Damn, he's annoying..."

"Is he done now...?" Naruto interjected, looking hopefully at Kankurou for some reason. It was Kakashi however that answered. "Who knows.."

Shikamaru took another look at Kankurou though, who hadn't spoken since, though his body language screamed recognition. Maybe he knew the blond guy…? _'No, then he wouldn't have been surprised by the explosion. So he probably knows the other guy… Sasori.'_

His suspicions were confirmed as Kankurou finally spoke. "Akasuna no Sasori, so that is where you went…" He all but growled at the man. "We all thought you had died."

"For Suna, I have died." Sasori answered, not changing his facial expressions even once. "I have cut my ties with that pathetic village."

As Shikamaru had learned earlier that day, pride was a dangerous thing. That, and people from Suna tended to have a lot of pride. Kankurou and Temari sneered at him angry, and the younger one yelled: "Fight me!"

"So he's one of your 'toys', Danna?" The other Akatsuki member only received a nod as an answer, but he didn't seem to expect anything more, and turned his attention to the Sand ninja that had challenged his partner. "Well, too bad, we've got other things to do. We'll be on our way as soon as we are sure your little team stops following us."

Shikamaru kicked himself mentally because he had let himself get distracted by the eccentric blonde nuke-nin, and forgot all about why they were standing still in the first place. _Another_ reason why Tenzou sensei was going to have his ass when he came back. '_Mendokuse…'_

"Talking about them, they have arrived." Sasori lazily added, and made an arm that looked like it belonged to a puppet pick up Gaara from the ground while he himself got back on the giant bird that Shikamaru assumed to be made out of clay as well. His partner was still laughing. "See ya in hell, losers!" And with those last words he climbed back on the bird as well.

"And why do you think we would just let you go?" Kakashi asked, getting into a battle stance. The other's followed his example.

"Because we are going to keep you busy."

Shikamaru turned around only to see two new arrivals. A woman with long red hair covered by a hat that left a single lock of hair hanging down between her eyes and a man with brown hair and_ six arms_.

Sasuke's eyes visibly widened when he saw them, and his body showed obvious signs of shock. "What's wrong?" Sakura asked, moving her eyes from her opponent to her teammate for a split second. It was obvious she had trouble holding back, but he had ordered them specifically that they shouldn't rush in to action like usual but wait for his signal. Akatsuki, or their allies for that matter, were not to be taken lightly.

Shikamaru didn't need to look at the clearing to know that the two Akatsuki members had fled the scene. It was only a matter of time before they would reach their hideout, wherever that may be, and if they did all hope would be lost for the Kazekage.

He took a moment to tear his eyes from his opponent and answer his teammate, while Shikamaru barely registered their conversation in the corner of his eye, while he was staring at the man who had _six arms!_ "Do you remember that night of my life I wanted to forget?"

He saw her facial expression turning grim. "Yes. What about it?" She replied, though it almost seemed like she didn't want him to answer.

And he didn't have to, as one of the new arrivals did for him. "Long time no see Sasuke-kun"

Kakashi tore his eyes from his opponent and send a demanding glare to his student. "Sasuke. Explain. NOW."

Again, the woman didn't let him speak. "We originally were part of the Sound five, but our other three members were killed by those other fuckers from the Leaf, who wore masks just like you do." She said, looking Shikamaru directly in the eye. He knew she was referring to his commander, his sensei and the chuunin examiners who had 'rescued' Sasuke from the Sound five three years ago. After all, he had been in the Hokage's office when the order came in, just after he had been promoted to ANBU. However, having that knowledge didn't change the fact that she was still dead set on killing him, as was evident by the venom in her voice when she spoke."And for that, you will pay."

Not only pride could be manipulated, Shikamaru knew. Almost every emotion could be used against someone in some way. He quickly formulated a plan. Time was essential, they had to keep moving and needed enough power to fight not only one but two Akatsuki members. However, they were obviously hell-bent on killing him. He could use that to his advantage, and together with her…

"Team 7, Kankurou!" Shikamaru ordered. "Follow Akatsuki! Don't let them reach their base at any cost!" He received five nods and in a split second they ran after the clay bird in the sky that had again become nothing more than a tiny little dot.

The man tried to keep them there, but his attempt was in vain when Sasuke charged a lighting based attack and came running towards him, and the man had to move aside in favor of dodging the attack. He was taken back for a second, which was just enough to ensure an opening for them to escape. He tried to chase them but Shikamaru wouldn't let him.

He jumped in front of him in a split second, having the obvious advantage of speed, and prevented him from doing so. "Your opponent is me."

The man nodded, and started smiling in a way that Shikamaru didn't find exactly healthy. Immediately made a back flip in order to avoid a blow that was aimed for his head, and landed next to Temari. At the mean time, their opponents regrouped as well.

Both women had slit in a battle stance while he had been busy. Their female opponent was holding a pipe like it was a weapon. No, it wasn't a pipe but a flute, he realizes when her fingers moved over the instrument. As she began to play, he suddenly saw spirals twisting into patterns. She didn't speak, but she doesn't need to say the name of the technique for Shikamaru to understand that she is summoning something. A childish tune he remembered from a far past, though it sounds a lot more threatening than he remembered...

/A sharp, C sharp, a trailed off B... _Blood_/

He moved out of the way, but the summoning was already complete. Temari uncharacteristically hid behind a tree, and he wasn't sure whether she was hiding for her or for him. He wondered absentmindedly if the woman knew she was facing two opponents instead of one, seeing as her rage is directed at him entirely, but let the thought pass in favor of observing the three summons.

"Nice job Tayuya." The male commented offhandedly, watching the three golems as well. "They are even uglier than before."

"Shut your trap, Kidoumaru." She replied, taking her lips from the instrument not longer than necessary.

And they were sure ugly. With their mouths screwed shut and their unhealthy, inhuman complexion they weren't exactly a pretty sight, but still a sight to behold. He was pulled out of his thoughts as one of the beings charged at him.

He knew he had to end this as quickly as possible, and cast a genjutsu while moving out of the golem's reach. The attack, that seemed to be controlled by the music hit a tree and broke it in the process.

However, the music kept coming and the woman, now identified as Tayuya seemed unaffected at all by his genjutsu. While flipping backwards in order to avoid another attack aimed at his chest this time, he whistled a tune of his own.

On the cue, Temari came out of her hiding spot and hit the golem with a nasty kick in the chest, sending him close towards the place where he had just landed. He gave the golem a kick of his own on its head, while Temari sped forward to the woman with the flute to let her meet one of her fists.

However, the man, Kidoumaru was quick to cast a Jutsu. In a split second a barrier arose from thin air and protected the two of them from harm. Temari jumped back in order to avoid another attack, this time from the smallest golem who used the time she took attacking to charge at her. The man laughed.

In the meantime Shikamaru fought off the remaining golem, who wasn't as easy to beat as the first one, it seemed, especially when he had to keep an eye on all the other people who were involved in this fight as well.

Unlike team 7, who never seemed to go anywhere without all their weapons, both Shikamaru and Temari had lost their equipment somewhere during the explosions in Suna. Looking back on the decision of leaving his sword on the roof in favor of wasting time to get it, he wished he had at least picked up his bag with supplies before he followed Temari. Because really, the only time he was unprepared he faced an opponent who could cancel his Genjutsu in a bare second and another one who fended of Tai- and Ninjutsu like it was nothing.

Stealing a look at his partner, he figured she also felt very naked without her giant tessen. It was what she had based all her techniques on after all.

Talking about techniques, his options where very limited. Genjutsu was canceled immediately, the girl had proved herself to be an expert. And the man kept blocking their Taijutsu and Ninjutsu with the barriers and body armor. A single bomb in combination with a good technique would be able to blow them up in a few seconds. His family's trade mark techniques would probably be able to do the job, but with Temari standing right next to him, it would be kind of impossible to keep himself to his vows.

"This is so…" _'Troublesome'_ he ended in his mind as he motioned Temari to come closer to him. "I have a plan."

She tried to jump towards him, keyword 'tried'. Because mid-air she was swiped by a very sticky substance.

In a few seconds, his partner was caught in a web. With spiders. Apparently, she wasn't afraid of spiders, because she was kicking and punching them away with all her mind, tangling herself even more up in the progress. The man seemed to watch, like it was only some kind of game.

"Kidoumaru!" The woman said, "Stop playing around!" And in a split second he was behind her. Shikamaru turned around to kick her now they were distracted, but she was suddenly gone. Instead he felt himself unable to move or even speak, only hearing a soft, cruel melody.

When he wanted to analyze the situation, he found out to his horror that his arm was being morphed into something unnatural, as if it were melting. The burning feeling made his head hazy and the cruel tones of music kept him from focusing.

He didn't need to in order to see that what he was subjected to though: A genjutsu, probably A-level and layered. 'This girl isn't just a pro', he mused while his fingers felt like they were being perished, the pain making becoming more distant and distant as he felt it claiming his conscience together with the E sharp that resonated in his head more than his mother's yells had ever done. _'This is a master of the art.' _He somehow found this cruel ability that took away his life force strangely fascinating.

A genjutsu as such was hard to counter, and he had been taught that commonly the only way to survive was to be pulled out of it by a teammate who had an experience with multi layered genjutsu. He doubted Temari even used genjutsu at all.

It was difficult to think, when blood was being mentally drained from you, your body and mind contradicting each other, so why not stop thinking at all?

He closed his eyes only mentally because moving was not possible in the genjutsu, and shut his mind off part by part. Just before he embraced a blank state of mind, he reminded himself to tell Ino that his laziness did pay off: it granted him the natural gift of meditation.

When he heard a disbelieving gasp, he knew it had worked. It was an uncontroversial method of escaping genjutsu that wasn't exactly foolproof, but every jutsu has some kind of risk, or restriction on its use.

Neither Tayuya nor Kidoumaru seemed very amused as he used their short moment of shock to free Temari from the web by pulling her out of it. It took a lot of strength, but by using a back flip, gravity and their momentum, he managed to set her free.

However, while he freed her, Kidoumaru had taken the time to start summoning a monster of his own. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" His yell echoed through the forest as his female partner brought her flute back to her mouth, controlling her own summons as well.

As the cloud of smoke cleared, they stood eye to eye with a giant spider, who wasted no time to release something that Shikamaru identified as an egg sack. "Game over, guys. This is Kyodaigumo" Kidoumaru added, proudly showing off his giant summon. "And here are her kids!" He added in a darker tone, while cutting the sac open.

All kinds of 'baby' spiders came out of it in a few seconds. They crawled up into the trees as Shikamaru and Temari tried to stay away from them, the memory of an exploding spider still fresh in their minds.

However, that was a mistake, Shikamaru realized as soon as the spiders spun a strand of webbing as they fell downwards from the trees, circling them in webbing and sticking them to the ground. These spiders cut of their exits and restricted their movements in less than three seconds time and once again Shikamaru cursed himself for not at least bringing a kunai, a shuriken or _anything_ that cut.

One glance at Temari told him that his partner had a plan. While her arms moved as much as the webbings allowed her to do, she send a gust of air towards the giant spider, cutting through the webbing in the process. Though she wasn't fully released and the spiders keep spinning their webbing around them, she gained enough room to move both her arms, and repeated the raw use of wind element to cut even more strings. He then geot her plan: as the faster of the two and the one who was (sadly) incapable of getting out of their trap, she tried to get out first.

When one final gust blew off the 'ceiling', he saw a giant spider hanging above him and he knew just what she intended him to hit. He vaguely registered the laughter of their enemies as he jumped up and cast a quick assassination technique before either of them has the time to put up barrier.

With the silent whisper of "Dokugiri no Jutsu" a dark substance made out of chakra leaked out of his hands and was pushed skillfully into one of the pressure points of the giant spider before it could react. He flipped back, landing with his back towards his partner, accompanied by a rain of falling spiders. The venom was quick, effective and most of all: lethal.

Kidoumaru whispered a silent "Shit" as his precious summon hit the ground, not yet dead but already to far gone to be saved. His amused expression was gone as the anger took over.

And apparently not anger alone. In the following few seconds, a strange pattern took over his tan complexion and decorated it with various little markings that blend into his skin. Shikamaru could only watch in awe as he saw the humanity fade away before his eyes and replace something akin to demonic.

When he felt another chakra surge, he swore much like the girl who was now transforming as well, smiling cocky at their stupefied faces. "Behold" She said, discarding her headgear so nothing short of horns could replace it. "The power of the sound village!"

Shikamaru was _not_ happy.

* * *

**Notes:**

* * *

**Title explanation: **Shikamaru and Temari face Tayuya, who they would have fought in the canon past. In otherwords: in 'another past'. Deep, ne? Not really actually, but just something to get you on the right track. Look underneath the underneath guys.

Okay, I'm sorry I ever complained about reviewers. I got amazing critics and it made my day. You rock, and so I made fun of my own story, just for you:

**

* * *

**

Omake!

In the middle of the opening, next to a enormous white bird who seemed to be made out of clay, lied a motionless person on its belly. It didn't take a genius to recognize the red hair and gourd strapped on said person's back.

"You!" He heard Naruto yell at the two other guys, dressed in the typical Akatsuki cloak that marked them as a member or the organization. "You are the Akatsuki!" He continued, stating the obvious and earning a few sweat drops.

"That's right!" The blonde one grinned. One blond lock covered one of his eyes, though it something mechanic was still visible behind it. Something else that was rather striking, was the fact he seemed to miss an arm. That, and the he didn´t seem to miss or care about it. "My name is Deidara!"

"Why did you stop?" Shikamaru wondered out loud, afraid of all the traps they might have prepared for them in the time being. This was Akatsuki after all…

The blonde member rubbed the back of his head. "I had to pee!"

Silence reigned over both our protagonists and antagonists while they watched in disbelief how the blond disappeared behind a bush to… relief himself.

"He's not serious… Right?" Kankurou asked his former mentor, disillusioned.

The redhead merely nodded and said, "I am afraid so. Now, if you take the Jinchuuriki back and leave without saying anything about this, the Akatsuki's reputation might still be saved."

"Deal" Kankurou said, while watching his sister make out with a masked man (how? This is fanfiction, everything is possible) and Kakashi trying to prevent his team from gauging their own eyes out while screaming something about being scarred for live.

He had a feeling everything was going to be just fine…

Yes, I had to make fun of my own story. It's part of who I am! Anyway, thanks for the amazing support. Those who did the effort of PMing me when they couldn't review: I'm touched. I hadn't expected it, at all.

* * *

**Sound 4/5:** Well, as Tayuya explained, most of them are dead. However, I figured that as Orochimaru's former bodyguards, they had to be pretty strong, and I was disappointed how easily they were killed in the manga. That's why I made them a little bit stronger, and gave Temari and Shikamaru a handicap. After all, who goes to a meeting in battle gear? *Cough* Team 7 *Cough*. Also note that the same thing applies for Kankurou. (You'll see next chapter.) Anyway, the reason why Tayuya and Kidoumaru survived is because they are both long range fighters, and would therefore have less trouble getting away in time then the others. Also, Kimimaru was sick. So yeah, he's done for. **Shikamaru/Temari Fighting style:** So yeah, I gave them a handicap because I thought the battle would be won too easily otherwise. I mean, Shikamaru's sword would make the webbings ineffective and we have all seen how easily Temari blew Tayuya away. And they were still weak back then! Also, some might notice their teamwork isn't optimal, but I'm not going to say anything more about that because it's an important plot point. Well… semi important… I think. Just wait.

**Naruto/Gaara talk:** I used some original dialogue to keep the story somewhere close to canon. Try to kill me if you want to, YOU'LL NEVER GET ME! XD

For original readers: guess what changed from the original? Exactly; very little. (I originally intended to put the entire fight in this chapter, but the battle was too long and I wanted to kill you with cliffhangers. Yes, there is a sadist somewhere in me)

Anyway, on to the next chapter! Which should be up sometime….


	7. Teamwork?

_I could say I'm sorry for the wait, but the thing is; I have a life. A life that sucks sometimes. My grandma died, and my best friend is in the hospital. On top of that, school is killing me. My research project on Japanese history is interesting, but it eats my time._

_Anyway, I would like you to know that I am still here, still intend on finishing this story (as a matter of fact, I already wrote out the last few chapters). To give a small estimation; we're not even halfway there. Maybe a quarter… Doesn't that make you glad? *sarcasm* _

_-II-_

**Chapter 7: _Teamwork?_**

_Don't hold me up now,__**  
**__I can stand my own ground,__**  
**__I don't need your help now,__**  
**__You will let me down, down, down!_

_-II-_

The giant spider was gone, and so were the golems. If Shikamaru had been an optimistic person, he would have sighed and told himself that the hardest part was over. However, he was not an optimistic person, as much as a realist. And with two people transforming into something inhuman right before his eyes, who could blame him?

Kidoumaru sported a third eye, and his hair and skin color had changed. Tayuya had 'merely' grown horns on the top of her head and her complexion had changed to an unnatural tint, but the gleam in her eyes told Shikamaru that she didn't need such a thing as extra limps or senses to kill them. The two of them continued to stare for a few seconds, and then-

His back hit the ground. Or rather someone pushed him to the ground just seconds before.

Looking up from his laying position, he saw Temari hovering over him with a very unpleasant expression in her eyes.

…And something made out of gold flew above them, missing them just barely. He cursed and dispelled the genjutsu. How had he been fooled that easily? They had obviously used his shock to cast an illusion and shoot that thing at him, and if Temari hadn't saved him just a second ago…

"Be careful. I don't know if I can beat them on my own." She whispered before jumping out of his view. He followed her into the trees, still frustrated at his mistake. However, he wasn't allowed any more thought on the subject as the golden projectiles kept coming their way. He landed on a branch, but had to jump again and again as the projectiles kept coming his way. He tried to locate Tayuya and Kidoumaru, but even though there were enough projectiles to trace, they seemed to come from a completely different angle time after time. He figured the girl was using genjutsu in order to mislead them, but no matter how many times he dispelled a genjutsu, there was always another one underneath.

Talking about teamwork.

When he barely avoided a hit for the third time, his opponent started to become cocky. "What are you struggling for? The game is already finished!" His voice lingered bit longer in the forest then necessary, but Shikamaru was already on his feet again, casting another quick genjutsu of his own while closing his eyes and following the sound of the cocky ninja's mistake.

'_20 meters, 8 o'clock'_

With that thought, he lunged forward and stood in front of his now located opponents in a second. They didn't seem to notice him until his leg hit the back of Kidoumaru's head with a _thwock!_.

However, as soon as his foot connected to the man's skull, he knew something was off. He had kicked a lot his life, so he knew how the impact felt. He knew the sound of breaking bones and shredding muscles. He hadn't felt or heard any of this.

But he'd most certainly felt _something_.

When he looked up from the tree on which he had landed, he found out that he was right. A golden armor protected the man's face against his assault. It was the same material as the daggers that had been shot at him previously, he noted. Before he could analyze the strange substance more, he felt another genjutsu being cast at him, and two more daggers being shot at him. Just before the genjutsu claimed the reliability of his vision, he saw that the substance came from Kidoumaru's hands, and out of his mouth. And while he dodged another set of projectiles, he concluded that the man most likely could use the 'golden armor' with every part of his body.

He had no choice but to dispel genjutsu after genjutsu, and dodge more golden weapons. It was really troublesome, he'd rather even have that they would change their strategy and he would have to figure it out again, than the prospect of dodging daggers for the next few hours. Really, he preferred to use an opponent jutsus against them, that way it cost him the least effort, but really it was kind of hard with those two. Unless…

He smirked, and followed his ears once again, letting his ears guide him through the forest. It didn't took him long to find what he was looking for. He found his victim and caught the projectile that was sent his way, clamping it between his fingers.

With a steady arm, he raised his new weapon at the enemies, hoping the timing was right.

_Ah!_

And it was. They split up to avoid being hit, and stopped attacking for a split second. Just enough for him to hit the woman full on the knees, right against a pressure point. That knee would be a weak point from now one, sinve he knew that hurt. He had the pressure points memorized in his muscles, and although it was really handy in times like these when all he could really do was genjutsu, the way he had gained it was anything but pleasant.

He twisted in the air and swung his fist at the girl to hit another pressure point. However, his fist was skillfully caught. She was tough, no doubt about that. Shikamaru stood tensely with tingling muscles.

_Swish!_

A narrow miss, avoided only by a nimble leap to the side. Another trio of punches forced him to roll backwards, the fist coming close enough to touch his skin.

"Not bad for a girl, ne?" She added mockingly to her bloody punches.

Before this strange transformation, Tayuya might have been very vulnerable in close-combat, due to the fact that her only weapon was that flute of hers. However, the strong punch that connected to his stomach and send him flying taught him that she was quite powerful in this state. He hit the tree with a thud and wasted a second in order to recover and let his eyes wander through the forest.

He was able to share a quick look with Temari, and then threw a challenging one at Tayuya. Pride was to be exploited, and taunting her into breaking their formation was essential. They were both trained to be individual fighters, so both he and Temari had an advantage in one-on-one battles.

Their teamwork was way off, and he noted that they had to work on it in the near future. But all in due time of course, for avoiding dying had a higher priority at the moment. Singling out the woman and golems was part of that plan.

Said woman apparently thought it was very amusing that he decided to fight her on her own, and put her flute back to her lips, and started playing a more complicated melody than the last time. He watched her intently as he hid himself in a tree, momentary safe for whatever she was going to throw at him now. When she bit her lip and let the blood drip on the branch, Shikamaru didn't need to hear the jutsu to know that familiar seals were now appearing on the branch.

When the smoke from the summoning jutsu cleared, a golem stood tall, his eyes screwed shut but a dark blade strapped on his back.

Shikamaru's eyes widened; that was not only her ugliest creation so far, but probably also the strongest looking. With muscles that seemed inhuman and a total appearance of at least 6 meters, the golem was a lot bigger and a lot more dangerous than the other three combined.

"You might as well give up, shithead." Its summoner cockily said, moving to a higher place. "This melody is new, especially designed for the Konoha scum that killed our teammates. My Doki has yet to be beaten."

Shikamaru opted not to answer that taunt, but instead avoid the first hit.

The giant Doki swung one of its enormous fists at him, and considering their size, it was a lot harder to dodge. And on top of that, it was also pretty fast.

He had to use chakra in order to keep up with the Doki, who threw punch after punch after punch, often destroying a tree in the process. Though there was no attack pattern, it almost seemed to see what he was going to do while its eyes were screwed shut. It took a lot of energy to keep up, and he felt his movements slowing down with every punch he had to evade.

One hit would be fatal, and Shikamaru had too many plans in life to die prematurely because of a stinky golem.

Tayuya's insane laugh echoed through the forest, and Shikamaru braced himself.

He jumped to the left to avoid a hit, and hit a tree with a sharp thud. It hurt like a bitch, but he got up in less than a second and had to move away from his resting place, because the Doki came at him again. He landed on another three branch, just above the giant, and prepared to dive down.

However, he was swept of his feet as the entire tree started to shake, and he was unable to balance himself enough to jump. Before he could even think about summoning the chakra to stick himself to the three, the giant used his second of imbalance to hit his legs with a branch he had ripped from a tree at some point in time.

Shikamaru could avoid breaking his bones, but he fell never the less all the way down and hit the ground. His back hurt and his head hurt even more, but he had to get back up. He saw black spots dance in his vision but had to get back up. His breathing was labored and he broke a bone in his hand, _but he had to get back up!_

He coughed a few times, until he was finally able to breathe again without laboring. He absently noted that he had spit up some blood, and turned on his side so he could spit it out.

Gross, but not uncommon.

Then he got back on his feet and started to jump again, with renewed fervor, wondering if Temari was doing well. He started to dispel genjutsu on instinct, detecting and releasing them before he even registered he had done it, and he kept to the plan.

When the giant lunged at him from the right again, Shikamaru saw his chance. He raced forward, taking a very needed risk. As he expected, the Doki moved to the left but lifted its right arm in an attempt to hit him. Knowing that, he jumped on top of the fist and slammed it to the ground with a strong kick. The giant threw its other fist at him, but Shikamaru was way ahead of him and jumped up just in time to avoid a hit. This did not mean that the Doki missed. Au contraire; he hit a bull's-eye.

Or rather, his own eye with a deafening crunch, fracturing his own skull.

Tayuya gaped at him, as she calmed the giant, who confirmed being brainless by still being alive after a hit like that.

"There is no way you figured out the pattern of my melody!" She cried, as he picked up another one of Kidoumaru's projectiles and threw them at her giant Doki. It couldn't avoid it this time as well, and it took a full hit in its upper leg this time. Tayuya was furious. "Impossible! You knew how he would move! How did you do it?"

He smirked, though she wouldn't be able to see it behind his mask. "I didn't bother listening at the music pattern, too hard. There's always an easy solution." He said, and appeared behind the Doki before she could do anything to stop him. "It's your fingers."

"That's impossible!" She cried out while he kicked the Doki's head hard enough to cause a heavy concussion.

He landed just out of reach of the Doki's fist and locked his eyes with hers. "Your right pointer finger and ring finger, and your left pinky. That's what you wanted to do next right?"

She blinked slightly, confused. Then she growled in anger. "How… How did you know? I haven't even used that one yet."

"No, you haven't, but your movements tell me that you have been hesitating to use it for a while. And what is left but the sword on his back?" He replied, getting away from the Doki, it was still extremely dangerous, even if one of its fists was incapacitated.

He was right, and though the melody suddenly sounded like it carried a lot of anger, when she brought the flute back to her lips, she moved her fingers in the exact same movement as he had predicted. The Doki took the blade from its shed and swung it at him.

He was prepared and dodged it with ease, and rather kept his eyes on the woman who controlled the fighting golem then the Doki itself. He had been watching the movements of her hand since the start of the battle, watching and memorizing her movements since the very start. It was only a matter of time now…

He kept his eyes on her for a little while longer, and then smirked. _'Game over!'_ He jumped and with a chakra enforced kick he hit the giant Doki's blade in the middle of its swing, knocking it out of its path. He made a back flip right after landing in order to avoid the following attack, but changed direction mid-air, never letting his eyes leave the his golden objective. He landed, picked it up and threw it back at her with some chakra.

The distance between them was too short to avoid a hit, and Shikamaru knew she had very few options. She reacted as he expected and shielded herself from the attack.

A crack of metal sounded the end of a worthy weapon, and the pieces hit the floor after it had broken in two. Tayuya looked like her heart had broken in two as well, and started a string of heartbroken curses.

Then, just when Shikamaru thought he had turned the tides in his favor, they turned again as he was thrown harshly into a tree.

-II-

Sasuke was a passionate person, even if you hardly were able to detect any emotion on his face. Well, passionate…. Devoted. Determined. Before 'that night', he had tried everything to get the approval of his family. After 'that night' he did even more than physically possible to avenge that same family. However, three years ago, he had given up on that goal after being returned to Konoha.

He had felt empty and downright horrible for months, refusing to even talk. He went on missions dutifully with his team, but he didn't talk nor did his moves contain the same spirit they had held before. Without a goal in his life, without something to devote himself to, he had felt nothing short of dead.

It wasn't until he had met death again that he started to live again. It's like they say; it's not before you have experienced the horror and the terror, before you can appreciate the beauty and variety of life. It had been a simple mission, not far away from the borders with Suna, when they suddenly ran into a missing nin. And not just missing nin, but a members of Akatsuki. A man, if one would really call it a one, looked more like a plant, and it was obvious that they had encountered them by chance.

That didn't keep the man from almost killing his teammates. It was then, when no thoughts of revenge clouded his mind, that he noticed that the plant was aiming quite specifically. The man, later identified as Zetsu, was only trying to kill him, Sakura and Kakashi. Sasuke's bleeding eyes could easily detect that the man could have made a couple of lethal blows on Naruto, thirteen at the time, but didn't. It almost seemed like he was trying to….

Capture him. And that just made no sense whatsoever.

And after that, he just started to notice his teammate more. The fire in those eyes that made them light up and burn to an impossible red. The chakra that corresponded with his own forbidden one, and made Kakashi nervous.

After a horrible battle that had wounded all of them pretty badly, the man had fled and they had camped at the exact place while Sakura healed them one by one. The fact that Naruto's wounds healed on their own suddenly became something awfully suspicious, and he didn't really have any restrain left to keep him from confronting his teammate.

Sasuke-style of course. No need to explain that a lot of fists were involved.

Their fight ended in a confession. That night, he listened in awe as his teammate choked up his greatest secrets, reliving his painful past, showing a side of the blonde neither he nor Sakura had really seen before.

That night, he also promised Naruto that he would also protect him against everything. Against Akatsuki, the elders or even himself if he needed to.

It made no sense; the promise was immature, insane and too easy to break. He would probably break it tomorrow by hitting the blonde, but at the moment it seemed right. There had been injustice, and Sasuke had found out that the only way to set things right again was by bloody retribution.

It had been a turning point in his life, in all of their lives.

One shared glance with Sakura solved more than a year of unspoken tension after his defect. It wasn't something that could be set right by talking, but it didn't matter. For they both knew that that maybe, maybe if they had a clear path in life to follow, that there might be some light at the end of it.

Sakura had smiled that deranged, twisted smile of hers as if to say; all is forgiven, and all is fixed.

That was probably the moment they started their decent into the abyss of insanity in search for the light, but at the time it seemed like three innocent thirteen-year-olds with too many false promises and broken dreams, acting their age.

Naruto hadn't accepted their offer, of course; saying that the future hokage could fight his own battle. Deep down, the seed of doubt was already planted in his head.

It was far from perfect; three thirds of them were still missing orphans and Sakura's family was slowly but surely estranged from the girl with a foolish dream turned reality.

Needless to say, they grew closer after that, more close than he could have ever imagined them to be and he never found a day in which he regretted that promise, _'a promise of a life time'_. And even if it was originally made for the wrong intentions, three years later Sasuke could proudly say that his goal in life was to protect his family, or die trying.

Which was exactly why he was doubting right now. They were chasing the Akatsuki still, but the two members were preparing another split up. They had already left the Anbu and the Suna girl behind, but would soon be forced to split up once more.

And Sasuke, having bad experiences with split ups, decided that he really, really didn't like it.

"Guys it's now or never." Sakura yelled harshly to her followers. "I'm taking that red-head on. I hate his holier-than-thou attitude." She added with her trademark grin that made you wonder just how much she enjoyed her job.

"I'm taking the bomber! Blondes have more fun, you know. Gotta stick together for some action, the chasing is too boooring!" Naruto whined half-heartedly.

How was he supposed to choose? He shot a few glances at both his teammates, deciding to go with both of time and changing his mind many times. Sakura was more vulnerable, and Naruto was … more Naruto. It was a though choice.

"I don't give a rat's ass, I'm just going to follow my brother." Kankurou yelled at them, angy and appalled for a reason that Sasuke could not understand. They were helping him, right?

While he continued to brood, Kakashi detected his state of mind and gave him a gentle push in the right direction, leading the other group after the other Akatsuki member.

Sasuke glared at the man, not grateful for his help, but following the other Akatsuki member none the less . They shared a look: This was going to be the battle they had been hoping for. He could feel his adrenaline skyrocketing and he welcomed the feeling;

Nothing like the healthy thrill of oncoming bloodshed.

Ironically, the fight didn't occur at dawn, but while the sun disappeared into the horizon. The dying sunlight made Naruto's blonde hair turn a brilliant shade or red, reminding him of another shade of red that his teammate sometimes possessed.

Sasuke had caught up with the blonde idiot, which he secretly liked to call his friend when Naruto wasn't nearby, and raced with him after the other blonde idiot. Did really nobody else see the link?

If he would have been asked to name their location, he would say they were in a forest. Somewhere in a forest, in somewhere in country. Could be anywhere, really. He hadn't _really_ been paying attention to his surroundings, but was sure that he would be able to trace back their steps later when they had taken care of the man.

After running for a while, the man suddenly halted and turned around. His blonde hair and almost childish smile contrasted the deadly reputation of his uniform. The Akatsuki cloak remembered him of what he had lost, and made him forget his previous theory. All he saw was red, blood red.

At the same time, he felt the familiar rush of chakra and adrenaline through his body and he activated his sharingan out of instinct. He red eyes glowered at Deidara, and he enjoyed the way the man was instantly angered. Apparently his _'beloved' _brother wasn't very loved by the man either, to say the least.

"Don't you look at me, Red Eye." the guy said. He was obviously the talking type, uncomfortable with silence. He and Naruto shared a short look of understanding, and he could see Naruto's canines as a wicked smile crossed his face.

Sasuke moved slightly closer to the man, partly to antagonize him even further, but also to size him up. Life is endlessly capable of surprises, which was something he sadly had learned the hard way, so he knew that one day he would come face to face with his physical equal. With somebody who might worry him. The cloak alone most certainly made him have some mild curiosity for the man's skill.

When he was done with his observations he smirked slightly and shifted his gaze momentarily to the side, and saw that Naruto had come to the same conclusion. They shared another glance and he didn't know whether to smile or not.

"Are you deaf?" Deidara yelled at them from the other end of the clearing. "I told you not to do that!"

Sasuke nor Naruto answered, and it seemed that the thrill of fighting had muffled Naruto's anger. Instead, they both kept looking at him without saying a word. Kakashi always told them not to play with their food, but really, he wasn't here now, right?

Besides, ever since Naruto had introduced him into the world of practical jokes, he really couldn't help himself when the opportunity presented itself.

The guy was getting livid, and started to do something with his hands. It didn't look like hand seals. A wicked grin spread on their opponents face only a second before...

BOOM!

Explosions were everywhere, throwing them off balance. Without even realizing what exactly was happening, Sasuke found himself flat on his back, sucking in deep breaths of air that seemed devoid of oxygen, eyes wide open. Sasuke heard the man laugh and he cursed. He reacted just in time to roll away from another bomb.

He was out reach in a second, using his superior speed to get away. The smoke made his lungs burn, but he tuned the feeling out, focusing on his eyesight. From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto approach the guy and forcing him into fist fight. Naruto had most likely also seen that it was his weak point.

Without further thought he launched himself at the Akatsuki member, not withholding any of his speed. The first kick was a feint, but unnecessary since his speed already provided all the distraction he needed.

Sasuke twisted around him, and Deidera tried to move, but in vain. The fist connected with his unprotected arm. An audible crack, but no shriek of agony or pain. One look at his opponent's face and Sasuke began to move, but it was too late. Deidera smirked cockily and Sasuke's face showed some small signs of discomfort.

Then the small explosive that Deidara had placed on Sasuke clothes ignited. Naruto's cries could barely be heard over the large bang, but Sasuke did not worry.

He knew a victory cry when he heard one. Besides, team 7 didn't _do_ losing.

With that thought in mind Sasuke ignored any ache on his body and jumped back into the fight. Things were gonna get messy, just the way they liked it.

Now only if Sakura was here to enjoy it with them.

-II-

He jumped back up and used his chakra to run up the tree in order to avoid another set of projectiles. This time however, they seemed sharper, thinner but longer, almost like golden arrows. Apparently the woman signaled Kidoumaru that he couldn't interfere unless she gave the signal, and this had to be the signal.

And they kept coming, like a rain of gold, once again coming from various directions. His ears grew hyper sensitive to the _'foosh'_ sound, not trusting his eyes for a second with a genjutsu specialist around.

He dodged another arrow from the right with a back flip, and used his momentum to follow the sound once again to his opponents. Using his chakra to speed up the progress this time, he aimed a kick for Kidoumaru, who parried it with his bow, which seemed to be made out of gold as well, and forced Shikamaru to back off. He landed only a few meters in front of them, taking a moment to catch his breath. His opponent thought it was quite amusing, apparently.

"Tired already?" She said, moving her hands in seals instead over the flute, and he was pretty sure she hated him a lot for killing her precious instrument, possibly even more than making those hand seals. He almost enjoyed it. "You have to come up with a better strategy if you want to beat us. Did you really think the same thing would work again?"

He saw her eyes widen the second she finished, and he smirked while moving out of the way. Temari had appeared behind them while he had distracted them. She hit the girl hard enough to cause some serious brain damage. Kidoumaru was quick to react, however, and before Shikamaru could prevent it from happening, he was attacking her at full force.

More projectiles then he could count were launched at her and she barely got out of the way in time, only to come face-to-face with the same man who had shot those projectiles at her. Shikamaru could see her try to swing herself out of the way of harm, but the arms of the freak halted caught her before she could movement as the other limbs moved in for the kill…

Or so it seemed. In the blink of an eye, Shikamaru appeared and pulled her out of his grasp.

Or so he thought. The moment his hands failed to connect with his teammate, he knew he had failed to see the genjutsu coming. This one was stronger than the past ones had been, but really, he should've expected it now he had become the subject of her hate. He felt parts of his body heat up and the world around him started to disfigure into something unreal. He didn't know if what he could see was real, but according to the sound of her screams he hoped they weren't real. Then again, that woman wasn't one to scream, even when in pain.

He would know.

It didn't work though, the visions kept coming into his mind. And seeing her getting tortured - because of him and his plan, nonetheless – was more painful than receiving a hit of that giant.

He tried to meditate again, but the screams kept him from wiping his thoughts clean. After all, it sounded like somebody was getting butchered to death with a small knife, slicing her open piece by piece-

'_I have to stop thinking up possible scenarios.'_ He concluded, and gave up on the whole meditating issue. It wouldn't work, he knew that much. It was multiple layered, so he couldn't just stop it with interrupting his chakra flow.

So really, there was only one thing left to do, he thought, and he bit his tongue very hard until it bled. The pain was stinging and he felt the blood pulsing through his veins, but he felt it! He had broken the genjutsu, and apparently the girl hadn't noticed it yet. He pretended to still be in the genjutsu, while the woman was already casting another one, too busy to notice her other one had been broken.

The sound of a bone snapping returns his attention to his opponent, who were still holding Temari and are obviously overpowering her. She might be a formidable Kunoichi, but genjutsu was obviously her weakness.

As he watches the sickening display of breaking bones he considers if breaking the rules is worse than breaking bones. Despite all the years of training, and all the vows he made. He knew how to stop this.

_(A hand breaking her finger, bending, cracking it slowly, pulling her out of the genjutsu while the user casts another one.) _

Despite everything that ever had been taught to him, everything that was screaming at him not to act what he had on his mind at the moment. Anything _but _that!

_(A scream hushed by pride, damn the woman is strong) _

He couldn't help it, though that didn't make him any less happy about the situation.

_(Blood oozing out of their wounds and _

'_I must make decisions based on what is best suited to accomplish the objective, right? How about we bend that rule a little in our favor?'_ He smirked and brought his hands in the proper seals in a matter of seconds.

"Kage Nui no Jutsu!"

Suddenly, tendrils shot out of Tayuya's shadow and attacked her. Kidoumaru tried to free her, but he found his efforts in vain when the tendrils bound the both them down to the ground. He moved now, and while the last tendrils caught Kidoumaru, and Tayuya looked at him in disbelieve, probably realizing her mistake.

A mistake that would become lethal soon.

Deciding that now he had already blown his cover, he might as well end this as quickly as possible. With that thought he changed his position into a standing one and brought his hands together in one swift movements. There were no hand seals required for this technique, at least, not for him. After all, if you create your own jutsu, than why would you include the handicap of hand seals?

Shadows began to move as he spoke the words: "Kageyose no Jutsu"

The tendrils seemed to come to life and grabbed a struggling Tayuya tighter. Her skin, flushed in an unnatural color, was suddenly covered by small black hands. He closed his eyes in order to see through his shadows, feeling the way they slit up her chest and found her neck to grab it. He turned away, trying not to look at the shadows that he commanded with his mind.

They were truly an extension of his genius, for he didn't need anything but peace of mind and a strong will to control them. Though seeing the tendrils strangle his opponents was nothing he wanted to see. Their voices echoing through the forest was about he could bear though.

He opened them a few seconds later again at where Temari was supposed to have landed. However, there was no trace of her. He heard loud cry from behind him, and he turned around again, fearing the worst.

However, there was nothing that he should have worried about, because there she stood, kicking the man that had previously captured her a few times. Shikamaru was suddenly very glad that he hadn't used the Imitation variety of his jutsu, otherwise he would have felt just how angry she was. Even while clutching her obviously broken arm, she still managed to scare the crap out of him.

Then she suddenly stopped and turned to her. He sighed and sat down, avoiding the scene before him. Their opponents put up a great fight, but he knew that it would end here. Even worse, he knew she would have him look at them dying, seeing the life fade away from them when they finally gave up.

Seeing how they had fought before; it might take a while.

He patted the spot next to him on the branch, and she sat down with some effort. Her body was damaged and they were both physically drained. They took their time controlling their breathing, letting the fatigue come over them as they watched the scene before them unfold

It was almost unreal, he noted, and averted his eyes again. A cry of pain and the shadow connection to his mind told him he had just broken the girls wrist.

Maybe even just to focus on something else, Temari suddenly turned her head to him, eyeing him suspiciously from her sitting position. "Who are you?"

"Who?" He chuckled, and whipped some blood of his face. "Who is but the form following the function of what, and what I am is a man in a mask."

It remained silent for a while, before she responded. "I can see that." It was obvious she wasn't pleased that he was playing mind games with her. It wasn't his fault, really. But because he had to see to it that their opponents were dead and therefore he had to stay and see them die quite painfully, his humor was a bit off.(1) Really, there was nothing to laugh about in a situation like this.

" Of course you can." He added, making sure she saw he wasn't intending to offend her. "I'm not questioning your powers of observation. I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."

She groaned, and Shikamaru took it as a warning.

"Don't bother denying it Nara. I am no idiot." She replied, obviously getting angry. "Your fighting style might be different and your voice has changed, but you still think the same way and it shows." She let out a sigh, and judging the body language she didn't bother to hide anymore, she had to keep herself from just pulling the mask of his face.

He sighed as well, though he didn't comply. "I am not denying nor confirming anything."

She pretended not to hear him, and continued. "It's almost stupid I didn't see it before, it's was there all along, only playing dress up!" She groaned. "I can't believe you didn't tell me before! We could have died here, and only because you didn't want me to know who you where, you didn't use that move. I know you could've saved both of us a hell lot of trouble if you weren't such a _coward_."

A small part of his brain, obviously not the part that was busy holding the shadows in tow, agreed with her, and he sighed again. _'Stupid rules, crazy woman.'_

"It had nothing to do with wanting." He said in his defense, still not looking her in the eye. "As you might have noticed, I am a member of the Konoha ANBU. I have sworn not to tell anybody who I am when I wear this mask." Another small part of his brain supplied that he should just stop starting to convince himself and start exploiting the holes in the law.

Even before he could argue back with his brain, Temari tugged his hand and forced his eyes to contact hers. She was smiling, a mysterious smile that send shivers to his spine and made him doubt if that was supposed to be a good thing. "Isn't a mask meant to take off? To hide an identity for a short amount of time until the opposing party is worthy of knowing the face of their opponent?"

He let out a small chuckle, though didn't bother to leave the playful undertone out of his words. "A mask is worn as a disguise, and not even a worthy opponent, _especially _a worthy opponent, should know who is underneath it."

A groan stopped their stupid sense of humor and a staggering breath had both of them looking at the scene before them. Speaking of opponents: They were dying.

No blood this time, nor did they look at him with pleading eyes. Instead they looked at each other before drawing their terminal breath and leaving life together. It was a sight to behold, and the two of them watched the scene unfold with morbid fascination, unable to tear their eyes away. It was disgustingly beautiful.

Neither of them would ever forget.

And then, their bodies hit the ground with a thud and Shikamaru felt a wave of relief wash over him

"It's over, Shika." Temari breathed to him with more relief in his voice than he had expected, slipping her healthy arm around him. He pulled her into an embrace, feeling suddenly very happy that they were alive, and vowing never to leave the house without some proper equipment.

He didn't even bother to ask her why she slipped his mask off, for he knew that she was pretty capable at finding the holes in the law as well.

_Don't tell, don't show, but being showed…_

* * *

**(1) Watching them die, why?: **You might wonder why Shikamaru didn't kill them off quickly with some kind of poisoned jutsu. However, if he would do this, he would have to break the connection of the jutsu, allowing them an opening to escape and attack them. Temari couldn't do it either because frankly, she doesn't have the strength. She took quite a beating, and using her last strength in order to kill them in a more humane way was not high on her list, I think. However, Shikamaru's mission isn't accomplished before the opponent is dead, so he can't leave before he has proof they are dead. _(Also, a lot of the 'mask' dialogue was stolen from 'v for vendetta'. I just couldn't resist!)_

**Sasuke?** Yes, I decided to take Sasuke's point of view simply because his has changed the most because of what we call the butterfly effect. I tried to keep him in character though, I hope I succeeded. Not just in that, but also in keeping it vague.

**REWRITE CHANGES**: this battle is one of the few things I shortened. It was too long, too complex and too descriptive. That last part remains, because they are fighting a genjutsu master. Now that's out of the way, I can stick to ninjutsu, kenjutsu and taijutsu, which are way easier to write and better to read. And yes, I know I got a few complains about Temari finding out this early, but hell! We've already passed the 50K+ mark, and I need her to find out to get on with the story. So sorry if you didn't like it, sorry if it was too abrupt, but for the sake of the flow of the story, deal with it.

(BTW, in case I don't update before that time, Merry Christmas and a happy new year. I wish you all the best.)


	8. Sailor's delight

**Well, I finished this about a month ago, but Evercold took quite a long time. As a matter of fact, I got impatient, and decided to update this chapter un beta'd. I'll update the beta'd version as soon as Evercold finishes it, so please overlook all my terrible mistakes! You have absolutely no idea how many times I rewrote the Sasu+Naru/Deidara fight. Well, just watch! I hope it doesn't overshadow Shikamaru and Temari's part, which is all things considered more important.**

* * *

_**Chapter 8: Red sky at night, sailors delight**_**  
**_- I've been waiting..._

* * *

Despite the blood coming from the possibly lethal wound on his side, despite the pain, despite the obvious danger that came with fighting an Akatsuki member, Sasuke smirked.

The skin of his left side had been obliterated and charred by the explosion but the blood made it impossible to asses just how deep the wound was, and Sasuke doubted that it would ever return to it's previous smooth state as he bit back the pain. It could have been much worse if he hadn't torn of his shirt right before the explosion. His shirt – or rather, what was left of it – laid discarded somewhat to his left, in the small crater that the explosion had created. That blonde Akatsuki member, Deidara was it? Apparently wasn't as stupid as he had lead them on to be.

Looking at the blonde who's shape was barely visible in the smoke that had accompanied the explosion, Sasuke could see that his loss hadn't been in vain though: Even though his attack had given Deidara an opening to attack him, the blonde suffered quite a bit too from his punch. His arm had been fractured at the very least, and with some luck he had done some damage to the man's rips too.

At the very least, Deidara's body would not be able to survive a fight that came down to stamina and brute power, which just happened to be their specialty. But still - Sasuke launched himself out of the way of a burst of an incoming clay spider that would have killed him if it exploded from this distance – dealing with an Akatsuki member, the crème de la crème of the rogue nin business, was no easy feat.

They only needed speed, timing, a little bit of luck, and if only the blonde would stop with throwing explosives at them so the smoke could clear and he could communicate with Naruto, they would win.

Probably.

"Take this, Uchiha!" Deidara shouted at him, and it occurred Sasuke that he had become his favorite target.

He cursed and jumped out of the way of a larger explosive, this time shaped as a larger bird. So much for clearing the smoke. From behind him, Sasuke caught sight of Naruto stumbling backwards, holding his abdomen as though in pain. Apparently Naruto had not been in time to get away from the explosion himself. They shared a glance, knowing that they might have underestimated the blonde bomber.

Sasuke held his wounded side with his hand and hissed; he didn't have time for all this thinking. They didn't have a plan, and improvising was one of their other strengths so brooding wasn't really the best thing to do right now. Drawing his sword, the Uchiha leapt at the enemy, focusing on speed and actually landing a blow. The time for defensive maneuvers and avoiding hits was over and it was about time he landed some hits of his own. He moved incredibly fast, twisting, flipping, slashing through clay before it could form an explosive, slashing at limbs that seemed constantly out of his reach. His body was little more than a blur, leaving trails of blood in its wake. The only signs of his katana were brief flashes of light and drawn blood. But Deidara was not a bad fighter either; on the contrary, the man seemed to deflect any blow and close every opening Sasuke could have possibly taken.

So much for luck.

"Are you sure you can look away?" a rough voice growled close behind him. His blood running cold, Sasuke whirled around to face Deidara, who's smile had some of that twisted essence that Sakura had mastered over the years. "Those little eyes of yours don't see everything, now do they?"

Sasuke turned around gracefully and answered those pretty words by spitting some blood in the blonde's face, loving the way Deidara's face contorted in anger. He smirked, lips all bloody and body heaving in exhaustion but still dangerously deviant against a man that should in all meanings be his superior. "You little shit!" the blonde yelled indignantly, all mirth on his features replaced by boiling anger.

"Sasuke, look out!" Naruto's panicked yell reached Sasuke's ears just in time. He spun around and jumped out of the way just in time to avoid the hit. The explosion, coming from a clone that had apparently snuck up behind Sasuke, would have done more than just some serious damage; apparently Sasuke had finally managed to piss Deidara off enough to make him go kamikaze, although through clones.

"Where the hell were you?" Sasuke hissed to Naruto, who landed close to him.

"Fighting his clones, mostly." Naruto retorted, slightly irritated. "Oh, and let's not forget, saving your ass. He won't let me stay near you."

Alone, Sasuke's chidori could split mountains in two. Alone, Sasuke's sword could go one and one and one, causing a thousand deaths. Alone, Sasuke's bare fists could do irreparable damage in 0.3 seconds. Together, just the two of them but favorably all three; world reign was within their reach. And Deidara seemed, despite his hot-headedness seem to get that. Before Naruto could even finish his sentence, an explosive was planted between the two of them, forcing them apart once more.

"Behold!" Deidara yelled deliriously, "my beloved C2!"

Sasuke's head snapped around to see a giant dragon, white-hot and promising pure destruction, a little be too close for comfort, coming right at him. It was too close; there was nothing he could do from this range. It was too late to flee and especially with his aching side Sasuke would never be in time to avoid damage from an explosion of this caliber. He was done for, so he decided that he'd rather go down with a bang. Sasuke let his strained muscles relax and did the only thing that seemed logical right then:

"_Chidori Nagashi!" _As on instinct Sasuke activated his full body chidori, electrocuting and forcing everything within his reach to still. Deidara's face fell once again, and Sasuke smirked as the explosive refused to detonate.

Loophole, found. Now time to exploit it.

-II-

The wind wailed between distorted trunks, carrying that distinctive scent of wet wood and making sounds that could be mistaken for voices if one listened to it for a while. Besides the sound of rustling leaves, breaking branches and their rhythmic footsteps, the forest was quiet. Judging the fading light and the way it created new shadows and dark patches around them, night wasn't far away. They needed to get some place to shelter for the night, or move faster in order to get out of the musky forest before nightfall.

Behind him, Temari was taking tentative steps, clutching her broken arm to protect her shattered fingers from touching anything during their walk. She was sweating and she drew labored breaths, and Shikamaru almost felt sorry for her just before she tried to change his mind again. _'Not again…'_

"I feel much better already, I just need to get out of this damn forest." She said, her voice firm, but Shikamaru didn't need to see her to know that she was putting up an act. She had been doing it for the past 3 hours, and it was getting old. "What way is-"

"Do I really need to repeat myself?" He said, marching onwards without taking his eyes off a grey flower in front of him to look at her, nor did he fight the urge to roll his eyes.

She didn't falter. "No, just-"

He interrupted her. "Your arm is broken, and so are your fingers. You can't form hand seals-" She cut him off mid-sentence.

"My legs are fine, I can still kick-"

"You don't have much chakra left, you're already too tired to run." He said, interrupting her again. He turned around and narrowed his eyes at her, seeing that she had done the same. They were obviously both on the edge and she looked ready to explode. "We can't-"

"The only reason I'm not running is because we are going the wrong way, and I'm not going to follow your stubborn ass to Konoha." She straightened her back while saying that.

He raised an eyebrow at her statement. "Are you sure I don't have to add a concussion to the list? I told you before we were heading towards Suna."

Her posture stiffened and she clenched her fists, every ounce of patience she had left lost. "I don't care where we're going!" She hissed, barely raising her voice in her anger. "All I know is that a few wounds are not keeping me from getting my brother back!"

"Kakashi and his team are very capable of getting them back, they don't need us." He replied, calmly. He turned around and started to walk again. A short silence followed, until…

"You have obviously no idea what you are talking about." She continued to hiss, and followed him. The crunching of leaves betrayed her unsteady steps as she ran to him, the sounds becoming louder with every approaching step until she walked next to him. "They are up against Akatsuki!"

He didn't respond to her jibe, and kept his look on that single grey flower from before. It only possibly aggravated her more, it seemed, but he couldn't find the strength to care about that while she continued yelling him. "One of them defeated my brother singlehandedly, and he is supposed to be the strongest of our village! If you would just tell me where they went I could-"

Shikamaru really losing his patience now. "No, you listen woman." He cut her off and kicked some leaves in frustration. "Listen to yourself. We've had this conversation eight times already since we defeated _them. _Listen to your body! It has a limit, you know!"

She squinted her eyes in anger and in a swift motion she grabbed his arm with her healthy one and forced him to face her. The wind that had shaken the leaves of the trees had died down, and the birds were no longer chirping. The trees stood utterly still, just like them. The only thing he could feel was her hand on his wrist, pouring her anger into it by squeezing the life out of it. He paid it no further attention. The shadows where growing larger when she broke his silence a few seconds later.

"I know that." She sighed, and when she had her eyes focused on the ground, he could see some bruises starting to show at her temple, and he mentally noted to find out if she really did have that concussion. Then she met his eyes again with renewed strength. "I know that, but what other options do I have? Do you think I could ever look either of them in the eye again if- and that is if- they return, knowing that I was dragging my own sorry ass to safety while they were risking their lives out there!" She squeezed his wrist a little bit at the end of each sentence.

He took her hand with his other and removed it from her wrist, squeezing it slightly in the process for comfort. "They are ninjas, they will manage to survive. Kankurou is strong. Team 7 is _insanely_ strong-"

"And I am strong as well, and so are you. It is our responsibility, my responsibility to help them!" She cut him off again, and it was getting really frustrating.

"It is our responsibility to complete this missions, and you throwing yourself into a battle that you can't win is not within the allowed causalities." He bit back, and tightened his grip on her hand. They were ninja. They could argue, even fight without making much sound. But they were still human.

He felt her hand clench in his. "You coward! A mission is not the first priority of a ninja, it's his teammates!"

The word echoed through his head, though not in Temari's voice.

_'Coward!' A deep voice. _

_'Stop being a coward!' A disappointed woman. _

_"I'm a first-class coward" Himself.'_

He felt his eyes widen in surprise of the familiarity of the accusation. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before, he had even acknowledged it in the past. _'In the past.'_

He narrowed his eyes slowly and really had to restrain himself from shouting out right then.

"Exactly woman!" He hissed angrily. "So just think for a second, and don't let your emotions get the better of you. Your arm is broken, I have a concussion and we're both out of chakra. Do you really think we would be of any help?"

He waited for her witty come-back, but all he got was a quiet, shaky voiced "What..?"

His brows drew together. "You haven't even thought about it, have you?" He asked in silent anger and disbelief. "They are up against Akatsuki, not the most honorable group of missing nin, and they will not hesitate to use our weakness against us, or against the others!"

She narrowed her widened eyes. "But,.."

"No buts! I'm sick and tired of having this conversation over and over again!" He said, and threw his free arm in the air. "You know, I would rather go out there and help them as well! I feel the same loyalty towards team 7, and I don't like doing nothing either!"

"But, then-?"

"But don't you get it? We already know that the Akatsuki don't follow the laws of nature, physics or logic, do you really think two exhausted, wounded ninja could just walk in the fight, and come out alive? We would probably drag our friends down with us as well. We would be a liability! So stop overestimating yourself and accept it!"

His shout echoed through the woods for a few more seconds until the last remnants of sound disappeared with the light. Temari's muscles had gone limp, and it seemed as if all the energy she had possessed before had totally dissolved into the thick, musky air of the forest surrounding them. She kept her gaze focused on the little flower, avoiding eye contact, but Shikamaru didn't need to see her eyes to know they would be red rimmed with defeat and exhaustion. They just stood there for a few more seconds, his eyes on the sky looking for some clouds, but the high trees formed a ceiling of leaves above him that kept him from finding such comfort.

"Troublesome woman" The sound dissolved into the wind.

When he felt her fisted hands open, and lose grip of his hand, he turned around for what seemed the twentieth time since they started arguing and started walking. He imagined Temari's face lighting up again when he grabbed her hand tighter in the progress and forced her to keep walking.

"Let's find some kind of shelter." He said dismissively, and for once Temari didn't argue or even answer.

He found his shelter in the form of a hollow tree. Together they ripped some of the dead wood of the tree and positioned it just so it extended the area that would protect them far enough for the two of them to sleep under without having any trouble from the weather. Lying underneath their makeshift ceiling, he could still see the sky a little bit, but he didn't mind.

They didn't really speak again, just quietly shared the chores of making a campfire and getting something to eat. After they had eaten and the campfire protected them against the cold of the night and the animals of the dark, they went to sleep.

Temari lay just an arm's length away from him, alternatively staring at him or the campfire, and he pretended not to notice. He wanted to ask about her arm, about her chakra, but he knew they would most likely argue about that again, so only closed his eyes and wished her a halfhearted good night.

"Sleep well."

She just groaned in response and turned away from him. He shrugged it off and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to come. It did not happen immediately. For the early part of the night, Shikamaru lay inhumanly still, drugged by sheer fatigue but kept from falling into slumber by a feeling nagging at the back of his head. He counted the stars without opening his eyes, knowing that the leaves would keep him from seeing them for real anyway.

In the hours later, when he suddenly realized that his eyes were open yet closed, he had a lucid dream. At first the images where his own, memories of the trees and his childhood. Of Ino who had helped Chouji climb a tree so she wouldn't have to climb it herself, and of how he fell out of it when he had finally reached the first branch. But then the lights that eliminated the tears on their faces started to fade, one by one.

And there was that shade of red. Ruby?

He was suddenly on top of the same tree, two cloaked companions at his side, looking at a mountain that loomed ahead of them. They viewed, from a distance, the wild river that originated from the mountain a strange sight. Its water was clear blue and the shores slightly red, big red bushes adorning the sides of the river. That shade of red again, was it scarlet?

He felt the imaginary wind on his face as his body started to move towards the river. As they drew nearer, he began to see that was had originally appeared to him as clear blue, turned out to be slightly purple, and under that sticky red color, _'was it maroon?'_ there was a hint of green from the grass. The bushes weren't bushes either it turned out.

As they got closer to wherever they were heading, Shikamaru saw that one gray flower again, coated with that red liquid, the only living organism in contrast to all the bodies that were littered around the river.

Mercilessly, his dream-self looked around, and he was no longer in the forest, but somewhere else. He tried to close his eyes but found himself unable to control the body, and was forced to watch the scratches, scars, open wounds and the _blood._

The hand moved and he cringed mentally as his finger was dipped in blood, feeling the liquid sliding down his skin. So much blood, more than water. He could almost hear the screams and painful last breaths the owners of the blood had drawn.

He suddenly realized that he was very nauseous, and the feeling rushed through his body in a vicious surge. He felt the body, _his body_, fall down, rolling on his back on instinct. He saw red, and tasted it too. Something hit his side, and Shikamaru could feel the agony coars through his body like blood. The same cursed red liquid was smeared across his face and neck, his clothing, and almost every part of his body now. Apparently, someone had stuck a kunai in his side at one point. The entire world was spinning, and with his blurry vision he couldn't see much more than the clouds and white clouds in a crimson sky, lighting up in the breaking dawn.

And then there was nothing but the sound of birds and leaves and the musky scent of the forest. The leaves lashed against each other like a quiet drum roll that foreshadowed an event. He took a few more seconds to regulate his breathing and then sat up and took a look around.

Still the same trees, leaves and that familiar smell of the forest. Really, nothing had changed apart of the fact that it was no longer dark, but the first morning lights were already lightening up the forest. That, and she was gone.

'_Mendokuse.'_

_

* * *

_

The sound of a thousand birds would not have overruled the sounds of their battle. Their fists hit flesh, jutsus made contact and even more explosions ignited. The forest burned, the smoke of the fire and the explosions making it difficult to breath or see properly, but none of the three cared.

Sasuke had put his discovery to use, his lightning based moves flaring into life, crackling in the wind, contrasting the sharp sound of explosions with it's persistent buzz. Deidara had been angry before but now he was possibly livid, shrieking and yelling indignantly at the Uchiha brat and the doomed jinchuuriki.

"I'll tell you now you can't win this" He cracked, his healthy arm raised in the air like he was carrying the sun in his palm. Instead streams of clay figures streamed from his hand, ever expanding and ever explosive. "You're way too slow!"

Sasuke shot lightning ray after ray, immobilizing and eliminating one after another. But there were always more. There was always one he missed, one that came a little bit too close for comfort and would blow up say, right in his face. Deidara seemed to enjoy watching Itachi's little brother dance, and Sasuke gathered from the many comments related to his brother that not even within the Akatsuki everything was perfectly fine.

Or maybe it was just to distract him, which was whether it was intended or not, working; ever mention of his brother's name made Sasuke just a little bit more reckless and a little bit less intend on taking the safe way to victory.

"Stupid kids, go back home, your mama is calling for you." The blonde spat out manically, and both Sasuke and Naruto's rage accumulated. Sasuke lunged forward, right into the explosion of another C1, the spider exploding right before him, he could cover himself in time but it was too was agony. Despite many years of keeping himself under control, not even Sasuke could prevent the raw scream that tore through his throat. Beside him, he could hear Naruto do the same, though he could barely register anything through the overwhelming pain. His arms had been scratched before, cut open and had bled profusely, but now the protectors had been ripped to shreds and along with them not a fit of his skin. He had to bite his cheek to keep himself from screaming, not only from emotional but also physical pain.

Deidara stared down upon him mockingly. "Oh that's right, she's dead right? Well, I could still send you to her." He added innocently, making Sasuke's blood boil. He bit back the pain and stood up, gazing defiantly into Deidara's eyes, as if to say; Make me, bitch.

- Just in time to see Naruto appear behind an unsuspecting Deidara, giving a well deserved punch to the back of the blonde's head. "That was for my mother!"

He could have just ended it right there with a ransengan, they both knew, but there both silently agreed that such an insult deserved a bloody death. Instead Naruto dug a kunai into the blonde's upper arm, twisting it with lethal satisfaction. "And that is for Sasuke's mother!" The blonde screamed and naruto visibly enjoyed it, a little bit too much because the Akatsuki member saw the chance to launch a small spider Naruto's way, forcing him to back off with a disappointed shriek.

Sasuke watched in morbid fascination as the man pulled himself together and stood up, ignoring all injury and blood and smiling, once again, like a maniac. And they called _him_ masochistic lunatic. Deidara started collecting clay again, more this time creating not only a giant bird but also something that was so extremely narcistic that Sasuke had to blink twice to belief it.

"Behold, my greatest creation! Moi, only in the most pure of forms!" The blonde roared, droping his dramatically expanding creation on the ground as it shaped exactly like him, only quite a lot bigger.

But none of that mattered to sasuke as he suddenly realized that this fool was a dangerous one, and that this clone could obliterate him within seconds if he didn't flee right now. Which he did, hearing Deidara chant 'flee, puppet, flee' like lunatic. In the back of his vision he could see Naruto do the exact same thing, setting up some shields in the progress as well. Sasuke would have to rely on speed alone and used some of that infamous swiftness to put quite a lot distance between him and the giant clay monster until-

The blast was greater and more potent than any he had ever seen before and shattered the ground beneath it; the giant clone of himself apparently was just as explosive as the blonde's temper, only then materialized. This time they couldn't entirely avoid damage and they were both launched backward by the force of the explosion. Sasuke's back hit a tree that shattered in the process, his lungs burning with every breath he took, shivering. His arms and tight burned painfully, making him feel dizzy in a way that did not suit Sasuke. He never liked being inferior, being weak. He had to get up. As the blast faded away, he turned to Naruto who seemed to have the same problems. They had been lucky to have fled in time, but luck always was a part of battle, and a part that Sasuke exploited to it's fullest if possible. All around him other bomb and mines started exploding, forming a battlefield without any safe spot.

And still the blast's power shook the forest around them, filling the clearing with dust and rocks and the wood of shattered trees.

But apparently that wasn't the end of it, their opponent had decided that the more the merrier also went for bombs. Sasuke hit the ground hard after another narrow escape. Sooner or later, one would hit him and he would be done for. What would have frightened and discouraged other only pleased Sasuke. The cracking of his bones was welcomed as he was thrown away once again, along with the sound of Naruto hitting the ground next to him.

"Sasuke," He yelled at him over the noise of the explosions. "I got a plan!"

Sasuke looked at Naruto with suspicion. Naruto's plan were always full of risks and with a low survival rate that tempted Sasuke like nothing else. The gleam in those red eyes was nothing short of alluring when the boy offered one of his rare schemes. They both knew that this was not the time nor the place for something risky, but it logic didn't stop Sasuke from nodding in agreement. The movement was short, but enough for Naruto, who dove at his teammate and tackled him to the ground, both to discuss said plan and to avoid a gruesome wound from one of the many bombs.

Deidara was mad, mad with the power over his puppets as they danced to avoid his bombs. It was a beautifull sight indeed, and for once he could sympathize with Sasori-danna; he could do this forever. On the other hand, he thought as the blonde boy barely avoided one of his mines ignition, he had to end this fast before it became boring and the moment lost its beauty.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. "Ready?"

Naruto nodded as his eyes hardened with determination. "We only have one chance at this."

Sasuke felt that odd feeling crawl at the back of his mind; they both knew that that statement wasn't true, that there was always more to give. That feeling of eternal power, laying well within his grasp but with terrible consequences, drove him mad with delirious glee. It was true, this plan had only one shot. Akatsuki broke the laws of physics and Nature, but they could go beyond that, but at a price. But, and Sasuke could feel the mark on his shoulder itch deliciously, they could do so much more if they would just give up that one thing that kept them on the right side of sanity.

"I told you now, you can't win this!" The Akatsuki member cracked madly, hopping on to his bird and giving live to another clay creature. "Give it up jinchuuriki, you're way too slow for my art!" But Naruto wasn't listening by now, and for that Sasuke was glad. His clones aided Naruto and within seconds his most powerful attack shrieked, spinning into life.

"Hurry!" Naruto yelled over the noise of igniting explosives. But despite the urgency in his voice, Sasuke could see _it_ in his eyes, too. "For fuck's sake Sasuke, he's not gonna miss this time!" Sasuke made the hand seals and waited for the perfect moment, watching half heartedly as another dragon-shaped explosive approached them.

"Wait for it…" Sasuke shouted, counting down mentally until- "Now!"

Without another thought or word Naruto threw his attack toward the bird hovering above the dragon that carried Deidara. The exact moment Sasuke saw the fourth's famous jutsu leave Naruto's hand, he forced a gigantic amount of chakra into his lungs, and shouted "Katon: Karyū Endan!" as if he had been saying it his entire life.

The flames hell itself spat out of his mouth into three directions to vaguely resemble a dragon before merging with Naruto's own attack.

They had combined attacks before, but never on this scale, and the damage was greater than either of them could have ever imagined. Sasuke watched with a wicked grin on his face as the blazing orb obliterated anything within its path to the stupefied blonde.

The ransenshuriken set ablaze was like a demon, spawn from hell. Faster than lightning and more powerful than any fire jutsu ever produced, the flames were overwhelming to any enemy and enough to reduce an army to ashes. Once the inferno made contact, it exploded with a rush of heat and blinding light, tearing up the ground with an almost human-like scream. The overflow of chakra rushed out in a spinning gale, causing a strong, hot wind to swirl around the battlefield with almost enough force to blow both Sasuke and Naruto off their feet. And all the while, dust filled the air to create a thick, heavy haze like smoke.

The smoke was everywhere, and the echo of the previous explosions still rung in his ears, as Sasuke finally moved away from their target, leaving trails of blood on his clothes.

Naruto landed one final punch on his chest, making the man's blue eyes go wide. Ribs cracked audibly. He crumpled where he stood. It seemed that his breathing was labored, likely painful. Deidara lay broken on the forest floor beneath them.

"Don't move. Or we'll make it worse." Sasuke told him coldly, and after a beating like that nobody would question the sincerity in his words. But really, it wouldn't have mattered. Their opponent's hands had been ripped off by the chidori, in his attempt to shield himself from the sudden impact. His legs had been brutally fractured by Naruto's angered fists, and by the way his eyes stared into the nothing, Sasuke figured somewhere between their assault either of them had given him a severe concussion. All together, Deidara had no intention of moving now or anytime within the near future.

Naruto appeared next to Sasuke, and outright scoffed at how pathetic a fabled Akatsuki member now looked. He almost seemed disappointed, and Sasuke admitted to himself that he had expected more as well, but he dismissed the fact. Deidara didn't say anything anymore. His face was a mask of shock and no small bit of fear. It was probably because they had taken out one of the much praised and feared 'Akatsuki members' with such ease. Really, and this was what his brother had left Konoha for?

They took off, ears ringing and eyes blood-shot from the smoke, back to wherever they had come from and to wherever they were going, only sharing some insults when they're abused lungs allowed them to.

By the time the smoke had cleared, Deidara was dead.

* * *

Really, it didn't surprise Shikamaru to learn upon waking that Temari was gone. It was as though, during the course of that dream, he had reached a point at which nothing short of the apocalypse could ever surprise him again. He had listened stoically to the waking forest around him and stretched his legs, and ran off, following Temari's trail.

Hours later, he was swearing all the way though he didn't feel any of that anger against her anymore. The way she laid broken on the ground, obviously fainted from the heat and exhaustion, her limps curled protectively around her injured arm, he couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the woman whose name he had cursed for the past hours. He could see her chest move by the labored breaths, but other than uttermost exhaustion and her injuries from earlier, she seemed okay. He bend down and brushed some hairs from her forehead, knowing he would most likely never again see the unguarded and peaceful, by some considered weak, expression on her face again. When they got out of this forest, she would most likely kill him for trying to stop her, and then bring him back alive for bringing her back to the village while she was unconscious.

With a sigh of defeat, he picked her up, turned around and retraced his steps back to the shelter, and after that, Suna.

The night sky already stretched above them like a sleek purple drop cloth by the time he found their shelter. Pale, strange colors could be seen through the ceiling of leaves, and the way they moved and shifted beyond the stars would have been a beautiful sight if the situation had been any different.

Temari had woken up somewhere during the travel, her bloodshot eyes staring at him accusingly ever since she realized where they were going. He had ignored her gaze and focused on the road ahead of him, checking his surroundings a few more times than necessary and running just a little bit slower than he could have.

He had put her down against the hollow tree and she hadn't complained. They hadn't said anything, not when he returned with the wood for the fire, or the food. Instead of starting a conversation himself, he sat down, stretched his back and winced. His hair was loose, falling around his shoulders in a sopping, sweaty mass. He reached for his face to take of his mask, but it wasn't where it belonged. He didn't remember taking it off, and it was actually the first time he realized that he hadn't worn it since the battle. If anybody but Temari had seen him this way…

Well, Tsunade was already going to kill him when he got back, so it didn't really matter anymore.

"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn." Temari said suddenly, pulling Shikamaru out of his musings. He looked at her, seeing her fingering a fresh acorn, which was strange, since it was still summer. "Isn't that a saying in the leaf?"

Shikamaru nodded, thankful that she had breached the silence. "Yes, it originated from the time in which great fires in threatened the woods and thus our village. Then, it is said that the First Hokage picked up a single acorn from the ashes of a burned part of the woods and said that line before planting it into the ground again. That tree is said to be the tree in the middle of our village, and if you find the first acorn, it is a good omen for the rest of the year."

"I don't believe in omens, and most definitely not in acorns." She said with a lopsided smile, and he smiled as well for the first time. He did cringe a little bit though, when she threw it away. It was tradition, and that is always hard to ignore when it has been intertwining with your soul ever since you were young.

But now the awkward silence was broken, Shikamaru was able to speak his mind.

"I'm not even going to ask how you could have run off the moment my back was turned." He said, confronting her indirectly head-on.

"I'm not asking you about your little secret, so really, you shouldn't complain." Temari's stare didn't really change, the small smile simply fell from her face. "You knew I couldn't stay." She deadpanned.

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" He remarked, raising his eyebrow slightly. "I thought we had come to the conclusion that going after them was pointless, like you just proved."

Temari sneered, and he could see her fist clench ever so slightly, her nails biting into her palm. "You don't have siblings, so you don't know what it's like." She said after a while.

"I might not have siblings, but I grew up with two people, my teammates, and I consider them the closest thing to siblings I will ever have." He replied.

"It's not the same, you know. I didn't even _see_ Gaara most of my childhood, and he scared the crap out of me the times I did. But even if he is scary, possessed or on a killing spree, he will always be my brother." Her tone was carefully controlled, almost forced.

Shikamaru's thoughts lingered on Sasuke for a few seconds before Temari continued. "If that blonde girl would have been a psychopath the first time you had met her, and had tried to kill you the second time, would you have befriended them?"

He didn't answer once again, letting his eyes go over Temari's illuminated skin, looking at the scars and wondering if any of them were related to this conversation. She didn't seem to notice, her stare focused on a patch of wood next to his head. Her eyes had yet to become less blood-shed.

"If your parents had told you to stay away from them, that that chubby boy was a monster, would your bond be as strong as it is right now?" She paused, but Shikamaru didn't answer. It didn't matter, because they both knew the answer. After all, he hadn't exactly defied his parents and played with Naruto back in the days, right?

When she spoke again, her voice was tone was less strident. "Friendship, it's great, just because you have that freedom. You get to choose. But siblings, to be related to someone by blood…" She stressed the last word and lifted her gaze from the ground to his face. "That can never be undone. You can never turn your back on your family, even if you hate them, or even kill them. Because their blood runs through your veins, and through your children's veins." She spat those last words out, and a vague look of reminiscence crossed her eyes.

"You can try to break every bond you have with a family member, but you will fail time and again." The _"trust me, I've tried."_ went unsaid.

Then, the silence took over again, and he suddenly became very aware of how the wind swept through the leaves, shaking them slightly. He felt himself wanting to shake his head as well, to deny everything he had said, telling her that their bond was stronger than that, but he knew he wouldn't even be able to look into her eyes and try to start a sentence.

He almost jumped up when she spoke again. "Like I said, you don't have siblings, so you don't really know what it's like to lose them."

"But, if their blood runs through your veins, doesn't that mean that you'll never lose them entirely?" He said softly, not knowing what else to say that would not either hurt her feelings even if it made a total sap out of him.

She didn't reply, and for a moment all he did was taste the sweet, earthy air that swept gently above them. And then a small giggle escaped from her, suddenly, and he couldn't help but laugh slightly at his own expense as well. "When did you become so sentimental?" She said between the fits of subdued giggles. "I thought you didn't like troublesome things as such?"

He sighed and jabbed her healthy arm with his elbow to make her stop laughing "Maybe it's a good thing I don't have siblings. It would be too troublesome."

"Oh, mine are trouble incarnated. You don't even want to know all the stuff Kankurou and I did when we were young." She said, smiling fondly. "We skipped school so many times that the teacher threatened to inform our father. Only now I realize that he wouldn't have had the guts to go through with it, but back then, we were scared to death."

He never saw her father's face, but knowing her scary sight and the fact she was related to Gaara, really, he knew enough. "I used to skip school all the time as well, and my parents found out many times and punished me even more times, but it never kept me from skipping again." He said. "Back in the days, me, Chouji and Kiba snuck out and hung out in the woods. It was fun, I guess."

"Woods, huh." She said, and Shikamaru suddenly realized that she probably wasn't as familiar with the woods as he was. "Well, we usually tried to sneak up on training ninjas so we could try to copy them…"

He tried to picture a younger version of Temari, and felt a smile creep up his face. "Did it work?"

"Not even once. We were young, I was barely 7 the last time we tried." Her eyes suddenly became downcast, and Shikamaru felt himself look away. "I never liked being weak."

He evaded her eyes again. "There is nothing we can do right now but head back and hope for the rest."

"Don't you hate it?" She said, trying to find some eye contact.

Shikamaru continued mumbling to himself. "Maybe if we keep running, we reach Suna by daybreak. It didn't take that long to get here right?

"Stop ignoring me boy, I'm asking you something."

Shikamaru stopped and sighed, then looked at her. Under the acorn tree, Temari hadn't lost her dominating aura, despite the broken limb and the fact she couldn't even walk more than a few meters on her own. "I don't like it either. But there's what does it matter if I like it or not? A fact is a fact, and there is nothing I can do to change that. Besides, you aren't weak. You said so yourself just yesterday."

"But I am powerless at the moment." She concluded, but before Shikamaru could say anything, her expression changed.

"Unlike you" She said. Her voice wasn't that sharp anymore, but there was something accusing about it. "You seem to have recovered most of your chakra and I think the concussion is gone. Apart from the lack armor and the few wounds from the other day, you could go out there and fight them. Why don't you go after them?"

He met her eyes and smiled a bitter smile. "And leave you behind? I don't leave comrades behind, especially not when they are as stubborn and irresponsible as you are."

Her eyes went wide and she didn't immediately respond and when she did, it was slightly hesitant. "I'm sorry." It was said so softly he almost didn't hear it.

It was also so out of character that he almost didn't believe it. "…What?"

"About earlier." She continued, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them slightly, her eyes never meeting his while he kept searching for eye contact. "You were right, and I knew I had no chance. But I just couldn't… let go. And I'm sorry I left you behind, too, I guess."

Their eyes met and they both knew that it was alright between them. He knew she had forgiven him for hurting her pride and refusing to let her go to her brothers, and he knew that he really didn't like holding grudges anyway. Too troublesome.

She reached out her hand and touched his cheek, and it was only then that Shikamaru realized that they had been sitting next to each other, under the same ceiling in the same forest, the entire time. The unfamiliar gesture, the unexpectedness and the surprisingly gentleness of it were so different from everything that had went between them the past few days that he felt like the wall between them had finally fallen.

He chuckled slightly, not sure if it was because of her comment or of embarrassment or just because he was happy that the wall that he hadn't even been aware of before was gone. It didn't matter, too troublesome to overanalyze everything. "Are you seriously apologizing to me?"

"Stop smirking." She said, and he knew that the gentle hand on his cheek would turn very violent any moment now if he didn't quit. Which he didn't. "It's not like I can't apologize, it's just that I don't often have a reason to apologize."

He joked, though not entirely lying. "Yes, you tend to blame everything on anybody else."

He felt the hand that he had held yesterday, the hand that he had bandaged this afternoon and the very same hand that was touching his hand right now was very close to hitting him right now

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Relax, please. Just rest. Tomorrow I want you be able to walk on your own." He did not have a death wish after all, thank you very much.

"I can walk perfectly fine on my own!"

"Sure, sure."

They bickered until the break of dawn.

* * *

**Katon: Karyū Endan: **_**Fire Dragon Flame Bullet. **__No,_ this is actually not one of Sasuke's own moves. It is used by the third hokage and has been credited as one of the most powerful fire moves and is very hard to master. I chose it over other jutsu's because it shows some of Sasuke's progress, even if probably none of you would notice it. XD

**Is the Akatsuki really this weak? **The answer is no. First of all, this is Sasuke's point of view, who is quite cocky. It would be out of character to make him 'admit' a beaten opponent was strong. Also Deidara is a weaker member of the organization, and it was two against one. **But are they really stronger? **Yes, they are stronger than Deidara, which is why I choose for Sasuke's point of view. I wanted to show how little compassion and respect there was for their enemy. They liked to play with their 'food'. This is how I try to make clear how team 7 has changed and how their mind works. Also, I expanded the fight from the original… quite a bit. It has over 3500 words now in total, which is three times as much as the original one. I still stand at my point that the fic is **Shikamaru centered, but **for the sake of the Akatsuki's credibility I wrote it out entirely this time. Took me way too much time, I must admit. I'm so glad Deidara is dead, he's a pain to write.

**Other notes: **Uhm quick update? Well, I guess I had some spare time. Don't expect the next one within the same week, guys. I'm working on it though. I hardly changed anything in Shika/Tema conversation, 'cause it was one of my favorite conversations in the fic so far, only second to the hospital conversation. (which is, if I remember correctly, in the next chapter but still part of the original story, so for me part of the story so far.) Also, the story's second anniversary is soon! Aren't you happy?

**For Original story readers**; as you can see, I am almost back to where I left off almost a half a year ago. Only one chapter of original story line left before you're getting brand new stuff. The story's length has doubled, and in my opinion the quality has gone up too. I hope you agree. XD


	9. Amor tussisque non celatur!

Anniversary time! Thanks guys for the past two years, another two will probably follow! Beta'd by Evercold! Hands up for the one that saves your eyes from reading my horrible mistakes! And now, to celebrate, I present to you some Temari centered crack;

* * *

_**Omake; A walk in the desert with Temari**_

* * *

They never talked about it later on, not even after everything had been sorted out and the world had been doomed and subsequently saved. Twice. Okay, maybe a few more times than that, but they were only responsible for those two times!

Anyway, they were walking through the desert, her home village in sight when it happened.

Shikamaru kept talking about something most likely very interesting and brilliant, like usual, but at the moment she couldn't care less. She was aware that her hands were slightly shaking, and that they felt so much heavier than normal. Just like the rest of her body, actually. The temptation to just lie down and let her partner be was… very tempting. But, as she remembered herself, she was a kunoichi! The personal nightmare of one Nara Shikamaru! How could she defy him and his genius if she couldn't even hear a word of what he was saying. His lips kept moving…. Alright, she had attended lip reading class back in her days in the academy, she could do this!

That looked like an o, and that seemed like a k. Maybe he was talking about a book? _Boring!_ She nodded with some extra fervor just to make sure that he was aware that he had her full attention. Well, sort of, because that black void was becoming really, I mean, really tempting.

Shaking her head had hurt a little bit too. Not enough to wince, but enough for her to subtle clench her fist. Shikamaru kept rambling, she noted somewhere in the back of her mind. Maybe he wouldn't notice if she would just… I mean just for a moment…

"And that is why a war would be inevitable should- Hey are you alright?" Shikamaru said, but Temari had long ago lost the ability to hear. Before he could finish the sentence, her eyes rolled back and Temari fainted, using her last bit of strength to hit Shikamaru for his monologue that made her fall asleep. She did not faint of blood loss. Sabaku no Temaru doesn't do fainting! She didn't do blood loss! Well, sort of… but never those two in combined!

So a day or so later in the hospital she when that lazy boy showed up, she ignored 'the sleep' and held her head high. If anything; deny everything. Especially that the crybaby, the little boy, and what-not-lazy, _did_ carry her back to the village.

Nor would he ever tell her that he fainted from the stress right after that. Everyone has their secrets right?

* * *

**Chapter 9 ~ **_**Amor tussisque non celatur!  
**__Het leven gaat niet altijd over rozen ~ Dutch proverb _

_

* * *

_

"I officially hate the desert." Naruto suddenly said, holding a hand in front of his eyes to shield them from the sand that blew into his face once again.

Sasuke almost tripped over a sun-bleached skull of some animal, and he couldn't agree more. "I share your sentiments."

It had been hours ago since they had traded the forest for a landscape of sand and cacti. The wind-worn rock formations and some dead trees now and then were the only indication that they had actually moved at all. Sasuke swore that he saw a desert dog eye them hungrily at some point, but then again, he hadn't drunk anything for a few hours and the harsh sunlight was already burning his sensitive skin.

The torrid heat made him sweat and the gritty sand kept him from being able to run fast. Not that he wanted to in the blazing heat, but anything to get out of here. He ignored the pain from cracked lips and dehydration and the blisters that were beginning to form due to the sand that was blown into his boots.

When they passed some cacti and – surprise, surprise – sand, Naruto suddenly halted. Sasuke looked at him questioningly, but Naruto just pointed to one big cactus.

"That cactus looks familiar." He said, crouching down on his knees to examine it better. "I have a feeling that we've already been here."

Sasuke fought the urge to either hit Naruto or himself.

"Of course it looks familiar. We are in the freaking desert! We've got sand, sand, sand, and then for the variation, sand!" He said, spite lacing his voice.

Naruto did not look hurt at all and just continued to examine it.

"Is someone having an emo-moment?" He asked. Sasuke could almost hear his lips curl up.

"Does someone have a death wish?" He retorted, not missing a beat.

"Tsk.. Like you could beat me…" Naruto muttered softly, and stood up. He let his gaze wander over the desolate wasteland for a few seconds. The gusty wind carried the fluttering shift of feasting birds and barking wild dogs.

Then suddenly- "Are you sure that you know where we're going?"

Sasuke looked surprised at his teammate. "Me? I thought you were leading us?"

Naruto turned around and faced him, eyes wide open and his finger pointing at him accusingly. "No, I've been following you the entire time!"

A screeching hawk stopped their argument, and Sasuke sank to the ground, his hands in his hair.

"Oh god we're lost… in a fucking desert!" He knew his voice was bordering disparity, but as long as all he could taste was his own sweat and body odor mixing with the smell of dry baked earth, he couldn't care less. He had literally lost his cool some time ago. "I hate sand! I hate heat!"

Naruto pulled him up without even trying to be gentle. "Relax, Sas. Let's just retrace our steps and then-" Naruto reasoned, but Sasuke hit him.

"And exactly how are we supposed to retrace our steps IN THE DESERT! IDIOT!" He screamed.

Naruto kept looking at the desert floor, looking for their footsteps while muttering. "… I hate you"

"Direct your hatred on the road, then we might just get home sometime soon." Sasuke said after a moment of calming himself.

He and Naruto shared a glance, and then they started to move forward again through the gritty sand. And he was sure that they passed the same cacti again, but there wasn't much else to measure their progress with, so he didn't mention it to Naruto, who had grabbed his hand and dragged them in some direction. He was entirely too tired, wounded and overheated to argue with him.

"Look!" Sasuke was pulled out of his thoughts when Naruto suddenly halted and he crashed into him. "That looks like a building right? It's probably Suna!"

Sasuke looked in the direction of Naruto's pointed finger, and indeed, in the darkness there was something different than the usual cacti and sand. What he assumed to be the roof of a building rose up into the sky, massive block by massive block, a staircase to the gods. He felt some relief wash over him.

Abruptly, Naruto started running, or as much as you can run in sand without getting any grip on it, and dragged him along with him through their linked hands.

"Stop dragging me!" Sasuke yelled over the howling hot winds that seemed to have become even stronger as they ran, but Naruto didn't stop. "Naruto!"

He vaguely remembered that buildings in Suna were known for their oval roofs while he was dragged across the desert.

* * *

The room that Shikamaru entered was decorated in a standard hospital style, with stainless steel furniture, pastel colored walls and even more white, double layered draperies sheathing the small, round windows that Suna was known for. The room was small, and a single bed on rollers was the only non-medical furniture apart of the chair and the nightstand.

And in the bed laid Temari, staring at him with unconcealed interest.

The nurse that had taken him to the room and left, and he closed the door gently behind him. The click of the latch falling into place broke the awkward silence between them.

The woman lying in the bed was singular remarkable in appearance. All the pride she had momentarily let go of in the forest and during the walk back, had returned to her features full blown. Her wide-spread eyes had visible trouble to focus on him, but it was also obvious that she would rather die than admit that she was struggling to keep conscience.

He sat down and eyed his surroundings. There came some questionable food smell from the tray, but he could also vaguely smell the smell of the coffee on the nightstand. It seemed warm and fresh, and implied that it wasn't her first cup today. He shook his head absentmindedly.

"How are you?" She asked, and he chuckled.

"Am I not supposed to ask you that?" He said after a moment, and smiled somewhat lazily at her. "But I'm alright. The effects of a good night's sleep… And you?"

"I'm fine." She said, and he gave her a dubious stare in return, smirking slightly. He put his hand on her forehead to mock her. She slapped it away, and sat up.

"I don't know why I'm so much weaker today!" She said angrily, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She squeezed the hand she had previously slapped away. "It's probably the bed rest. I'm not used to that. I already told the nurse that she should just let me go and-"

Before she blamed the entire hospital staff for her mortality, Shikamaru cut her off.

"How are your brothers?"

Temari parted her lips to say something, and her hand shifted over his, as if she wanted to raise it but decided not to at the last moment. No words came either.

A painful silence, as well as a thick tension fell between them.

"They are not back yet, are they?" Shikamaru deadpanned.

"Not that I know." And Shikamaru knew that _if_ had been back, Temari would have known.

"Gaara and Kankurou. I can't deny that I want them back for completely different reasons. Even if I wished-"

Abruptly, Temari broke the connection by pulling away from his touch. She moved back into the bed, and brought her knees to her chest. She scoffed and buried her face inside her arms, resting on her knees. It was almost as if she were… hiding.

"Even if I wished I had outgrown it… I simply can't forget it. And I hate both him and myself for it."

His dark eyes widening at what he heard. It was barely audible, but he heard it nevertheless. It was just so..

Slowly, he moved closer to her, without actually moving out of his chair. They were both silent for a long time and Shikamaru waited patiently, watching the world outside their room shift. The sand kept moving on and on and on.

"My brother killed my mother." She continued, not facing him still. "Gaara, I mean. My father told us that she died giving birth, and the rumor goes that she died during the sealing, but it is not true."

Shikamaru jumped at the voice, and then turned his eyes back to the blonde in front of him, eyeing her every move. Or the lack of them.

"I was there, when it happened, I was only four. Kankurou was three, and Gaara only one, so neither of them remembers. It all happened so quick, too."

Temari lifted her head slightly, and Shikamaru listened carefully, wondering just what happened.

"It was just an average afternoon." Temari began, but her voice seemed distant. "I don't even know exactly how it started. I remember coming home, seeing my mom. That she was happy to see me. I don't remember where I had been before I came home, I just remember opening the door, and seeing her smiling face. And I remember she held Gaara in her arms." She paused, licking his lips.

"I don't remember where I had been, but I do remember that there was much less sand in my hair than usual. There hadn't been much wind that day."

He could only see a little bit of her face, but never the less he could see a haunted look creep upon the girl's features. Her hands shook and her eyes were wide open, but her voice remained steady, and even calm. "My mother had to go get us something. She said I had to look after my brother while she and Gaara went and got it. I didn't like staying home without either of my parents, especially since it was becoming darker. A ghost might come and kidnap us, or I might have to change Kankurou's diaper. However, my mother told me that ghosts only exist in fairytales.

But I was stubborn, and couldn't understand why they _did _exist in fairytales, but not in real life." Temari whispered softly, lost in her memories. "So I waited until she was out of the house and at the end of the street, and then I…

Only after five minutes of following them, the wind- ... I couldn't see a thing. Sand was everywhere. We were near the village's end, so there was not much shelter, and I was right behind my mother… By the time I heard Gaara crying, I knew, somewhere deep down, that it was too late." Temari's voice wavered, a deep breath, she continued. "Suddenly, sand was everywhere, and it hurt my eyes so much. Everything inside me screamed to go back. So I did, well, I tried. I was disorientated by the sand, and ran right to the source."

"She was crying, they both were. I remember that, even from the small distance that the sand allowed me, I could see the shiny fragments fly through the sky. Like… splinters." She whispered. Her soft voice, almost inaudible, sounded hollow to his ears.

"She looked at me, I clearly remember her eyes, her face, the pain… And then I ran, ran until I was on the other side of the town. That was the last time I saw her."

He looked at her, not sure what to do, avoiding touch, or any kind of contact. It was awkward; listening to the strongest, scariest woman he knew to pour out her worst memories. He didn't know how to react, or how to act, and just kept looking at that face. Neither of them said a word.

Then she fumbled inside her hospital gown and then pulled up a very long and thin necklace. The cord was thin and beige, and at the end hung a small piece of glass. Judging the way it was tied to the end, it was handmade, and he had a hunch about who made it.

Temari turned to him then, the same haunted look in her eyes, but there were no tears. "Gaara's elemental affinity is fire."**(1)**

How she got it was left unsaid, but Shikamaru had an idea what she was talking about, and it did not sit well with him at all. Her hands seemed to cradle the piece of jewelry as if it were her lifeline. He just knew that it was sharp enough to cut through skin, and with enough force, maybe even through bone…

He held her stare for a second before asking. "May I touch it?"

She nodded, but she did not move from her position. He moved a little bit closer, just close enough for the cord to allow him to hold shard. It reflected a distorted version of him, and he wondered just how much Temari looked like her mother.

"M... May I touch you?" Shikamaru asked, hesitantly.

Temari froze, but a cold finger found his after a short moment of silence anyways. He closed his warm hands over them and waiting until she moved to intertwine their fingers. He didn't know exactly know how to comfort somebody that well, but he knew that holding her was pushing it.

Temari moved their joined hands, squeezing and then relaxing, feeling. It was strange, but nevertheless it helped to ease the thick tension in the room. "She was found some days later, Gaara was sleeping next to her remains. I remember my father standing at that same doorstep, looking at us with the saddest look I ever saw on his face. And I-"

Her breath hitched, and he didn't push her, just squeezed drew circle with his thumb on her hand.

"My father grew more distant after that. He was busy being Kazekage, and training Gaara to become the weapon that she would have never wanted him to be. I remember that he would yell at us for having her eyes, me and Gaara, when he was drunk. Well, when he still came home, at the end of his life he only came home when he knew we wouldn't be around. And I-"

She averted her eyes. "I've hated Gaara ever since. I swore in the night, after the many nights that her eyes haunted me, that I would kill him like he had killed her. I would make him hate me like he had made my father hate me."

"And now?" Shikamaru asked softly, more affected by her life story than he would have liked to admit.

"I grew up with Kankurou, when we were younger it had always been the two of us. We shared our fear for Gaara and our father as we grew up, so we understood each other. It was not until Naruto showed everybody, including Gaara, that he was not a monster that I saw him as my brother." She stretched her legs and let them lie down limply, staring at her lap. "That was the first time I realized that he had just been a baby.."

Temari stared ar her lap for a moment and he dreadened her next sentences.

"But by then it was already too late, hating him was something that was edged into my being. It became less, but it never vanished, and I don't think I will ever be able to fully love him like I love Kankurou." Temari whispered, her voice breaking. "Sometimes… I still want… to-…

"You know, it is no coincidence that I was placed into a team with both my siblings." She said, whipping away anything that could resemble weakness by changing the subject. "Family is important in Suna, trusting each other with everything, from our lives to our mind's desires. That is where Kankurou and I grew out of each other. He could do that, forget everything, do the right thing. But I couldn't. I never told either of them; that I still, or at all, wanted to-"

Her words from earlier came back to her.

_/"Friendship, it's great, just because you have that freedom. You get to choose. But siblings, to be related to someone by blood…" She stressed the last word and lifted her gaze from the ground to his face. "That can never be undone. You can never turn your back on your family, even if you hate them, or even kill them. Because their blood runs through your veins, and through your children's veins."_

_"You can try to break every bond you have with a family member, but you will fail time and again." The 'trust me, I've tried.' went unsaid./_

He now realized that hatred, and the desire to kill was just as much a bond as love was. It was just a little bit less… common.

A heavy silence descended on the room. Shikamaru felt chills run down his spine at those words, at her life's story. He wasn't sure what to do, hell, had never been this uncertain about a situation before. Being a genius saved him most of the time from not understanding the situation, but he could not imagine hating somebody, someone related to him, that much. Maybe she had been right when she had said that he couldn't relate, not having siblings.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. It sounded hollow to his ears, insufficient.

"Me too," Temari said, chuckling bitterly. He almost gave in to holding her, but cradled her limp arm instead. Temari heaved, almost clung to his warmth, but there were no tears. His other hand moved up to her head, his fingers going through her hair for a few seconds.

She reached out her other hand and touched his cheek, and he let her. The gesture, the same as she had done back in the forest, underneath the skies. It was almost as if she was comforting him.

Maybe she could feel, somehow, that her story had affected him. She was surprisingly selfless, but then again, it might just be a way of dealing with her pain. Though the haunted expression on her face had vanished, and she looked just a little bit less tired. It looked better on her.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you all this. I'm sorry." She said after a while, almost as if she had sobered up, and somehow he knew that that was not so far from the truth.

He chuckled slightly, and handed her the abandoned cup of coffee that had been resting on the nighstand. She gulped it down quickly and lay down again. "Are you seriously apologizing to me? You surprise me every day."

"Asshole"

He took the cup from her hands and placed it back on the nightstand while holding her hand in his."But I'm serious. It's good to let some things out once in awhile." He said, looking deeply into her eyes. Some life seemed to have returned to them. He shrugged. "Somehow, I'm happy that I am finally able to tell somebody who isn't involved about what I have been doing for the past few years." She nodded, playing with the calloused skin of his hand before she continued.

"It kind of lifts a burden from my shoulders, that I didn't even know that was there."

They shared a look and burst down in laughter, hers somewhat weaker than his though just as heartfelt. "That was _so_ sappy. I didn't know you were this sentimental, have you been reading too many harlequin books lately?"

She mock punched his shoulder but couldn't keep the smile of her face. "Shut up crybaby, you started the sentimental crap."

"Does anybody actually know you are in ANBU?" She said, changing the subject. "Since you said you couldn't talk about it."

He shrugged, the smile still on his face. "No, apart of my teacher, nobody."

"Oh, that Asuma guy." She brought a pretended cigarette to her lips, remembering. "Wasn't he the son of the third Hokage? I remember him from the Chuunin exams."

Shikamaru looked slightly confused. "Asuma is, but I wasn't talking about him. I meant my other teacher, Tenzou."

"Tenzou?" She tasted the name, ranking her brain. "I don't know the guy, last name?"

It was then that he realized that while he knew that Tenzou liked Dango, thought Anko was hot despite her creepiness and liked to try to scare people in ridiculous ways, he did not know his last name.

"I don't know." He confessed. "We don't really see each other much outside the job, since I'm usually working or sleeping anyway."

"Talking about that, I really need to talk to the guy, because you did a lousy job in teaching you." She teased, rolling her eyes.

"What, I saved your life back there, remember?" He said, leaning back on his chair, folding his hands behind his head.

"But you didn't even deny it when I discovered your identity! You didn't even make an effort to think up an excuse!" She explained, talking rapidly. Shikamaru noted that this often happened when she was talking about battle related matters. "You just started talking in riddles, but you didn't henge your face for a second to make yourself look like another member of your clan! That's almost a basic strategy here!"

Shikamaru shrugged again."No other member of my clan is in Anbu, it would have been an obvious mistake, no point in denying."

She looked at him strangely. "How am I supposed to know that?"

Shikamaru stayed quiet for awhile. She was right, he often assumed too much. Luckily, she didn't push it more, otherwise they would end up with another useless argument.

"Anyway… how come nobody else ever discovered it?" She said after a second, slipping the jewelry that still lay on top of the sheet from when she showed it to him back into her hospital gown.

"Because I usually don't work together with anybody else than ANBU, and usually I'm better prepared so I don't have to use my family techniques as a last resort." He explained, and he noted that he had to be more prepared from now on.

"'Makes sense." Temari shrugged, fingering the cord that indeed matched her skin color almost perfectly. He could not see the shard, nor could he see the hurt, but he knew that despite their teasing, she still was sad and slightly angry from their earlier conversation.

He traced the cold metal bed rails, touching the soft pillow and crisp sheets once in awhile. They kept quiet for awhile. It was obvious that Temari was fighting to keep conscience, her eyelids dropping down once in a while. She had such a fiery personality, so it was almost alien to see her lying in a hospital bed. "Maybe you should talk about it with your brother." He said after a while.

"Maybe you should talk about it with your friends." Temari countered, her eyebrow raised slightly.

He sighed, trying explain to her what had been explained to him many times in the past. "I can't, you don't understand-"

"But I do." She said. It did not sound accusingly at all, and Shikamaru understood that though the right thing to do would be telling, they both still had more than a few obstacles to overcome before they could actually _do_ the right thing.

He scratched the back of his head. "But seriously, keep it a secret will you? My Hokage will slaughter me if she found out you knew."

She seemed to over think it. "…Tempting, but what's in it for me?"

"Troublesome woman…" he muttered under his breath, and he could see that she had once again returned to her teasing mood. He sighed again.

She smirked and hit him good naturedly. "You deserved that for the harlequin comment earlier. You know damn well that I don't read that crap." And then her breath evened out he could see her eyes drift shut involuntarily. He smiled back, letting it pass.

He looked outside of the window. It had been late in the afternoon when he had walked into her room, after being released from the hospital himself. They had healed the cuts and stitched up the wounds that were too big to be healed yesterday. Temari had passed out when she had seen Suna, the knowledge that her hometown was near easing her mind enough to give into the darkness. He had brought them both to the hospital and they kept him overnight, just like Temari, to make sure that his concussion was nothing serious.

That had been yesterday, and his mission had already been much longer than it was supposed to be. The sun was already setting behind the beautiful far off mountains. It made the wasteland become even more unreal than it already was. The temperature was already dropping, and he knew that if he left now, he wouldn't have to go through the blazing heat of the desert. Only _idiots_ crossed the desert during the day.

He stood up and closed the curtain of the window. He could feel Temari follow him with her eyes, her gaze questioningly. Shikamaru turned around and pointed to the door. "I gotta go. The guest hour was over about a half an hour before. "

She raised a single eyebrow. "We don't have guest hours in Suna."

He shrugged, not even trying to defend himself. Temari shook her head, smiling ever so slightly. "Well, bye. I'll see you around."

Temari sighed, dropping her hands back to her limp body, her eyelids shut entirely. She seemed to have quit trying to keep them open. "Please stay here a little bit longer."

Shikamaru looked at her tired form for a few seconds "And why would I do that?"

He didn't get his answer.

"Just until the rest returns, that way you can travel back safely with Kakashi-san's team"

"I can take care of myself perfectly well, thank you." He snorted, but he walked back to her bed nevertheless. The desperation in her voice was not lost to him. It was obvious that she cared very little about his safety at the moment and though her pride kept her from saying what she wanted to, he understood. He smiled at her and took her hand in his, squeezing it slightly.

"Troublesome."

Her shadowed features lit up and she opened her eyes briefly. "Thank you."

Had he not been Nara Shikamaru, Konoha's number one most lazy ninja, he would not have been able to rest in this uncomfortable position. The plastic chair did not give any comfort to his still healing body, but he had slept in worse situations. He wasn't particularly tired, but just let his eyes rest on Temari, who was falling asleep peacefully, her hand twitching in his sometimes.

"Just until tomorrow morning…" He muttered to himself.

He reasoned that, no matter how much more beautiful the woods were than the hospital, he would prefer this peace anytime over how they had fallen asleep that night in the woods. He had been away from home for eleven days now, but somehow he had already become accustomed to beautiful wasteland and its subtle differences in the landscape.

With that peaceful thought, he rested his eyes as well and fell asleep in no time. When the first rays of morning came Both of them knew, it was never truly out of their minds, that this moment could not last much longer. There were times when the fact of impending death seemed as palpable as the bed they lay on, but there were also times when they had the illusion of permanence. Getting to this point had been difficult and dangerous, but here, this moment now was a sanctuary. Shikamaru sighed as he whispered a soft goodbye to a still drowsy Temari, knowing that all good had to end. All he needed to do was pick Hinata up and manage to cut down the three day journey a day short in order to meet the time limit.

Shikamaru straightened his composure and henged himself into the full ANBU attatire that he had lost bit by bit during his two week stay. Tsunade would have his head for losing his mask, but for the time being a henge of said mask would have to do. Taking all his belongings and closing the door behind him with a final thud, Shikamaru took the lead.

The walk through the hospital seemed like a dream, and Shikamaru could hear fragments of conversations. Without any given directions Shikamaru found Hinata's supposed room, number 301, and opened the door without even thinking of knocking

In retrospect that had been one of the most embarrassing slip-ups he'd make in his entire life, because on the hospital bed laid a bandaged up Kazekage, with the Hyuuga heirs fragile body on top of him, kissing him with more passion than Shikamaru would have ever held the girl capable off. The two lovers stopped making out at the sound of the opening door, but the damage was already done.

After an awkward pause in which Hinata quickly got off Gaara and invented a few new shades of red, Gaara growled; "Not a word, ANBU"

And after Temari's tale from yesterday, Shikmaru was more than happy to comply and nodded.

"Uhm, I-I am s-s-s-sor-ry Raiu-san!" Hinata apologized profusely, looking at him with a mix of pleading and embarrassment at being caught. "But please don't tell anybody!"

Shikamaru understood; cross-village relationships were all but officially forbidden, not even taking into account that both parties happened to be prominent figures in both their villages politics. "I won't" He answered solemnly, and the girl brightened up consideratly. He hated to break her spirits, but took him no effort to tell her to say goodbye and pack her stuff within 5 minutes before walking away without more than a bow.

Well, at least he didn't have to break his promise to Temari; her brother was home again, but whether or not that was a good was another thing. He sighed; things just got that much more complicated.

* * *

A moon-lit man walked leisurely through the forests, looking at nothing in particular, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his coat. He was not extremely tall, nor extremely intimidating in appearance, his pale complexion fitting perfectly in the equally moon-lit environment. There was something intimidating about the way he made cautious yet graceful steps, those of a seasoned fighter. And he was well aware of this. He prided himself being aware of his surroundings.

He listened intently to everything around him, knowing full well that he well that he was being followed, but he wasn't concerned in the least.

A hawk shrieked. Then, suddenly, his long, slow strides ceased and he turned around.  
The man cleared his throat. "Show yourself, human." His voice echoed through the night.  
A young man materialized in front of him, and bowed down respectfully. His name and fame had preceded him once more, it seemed. Even a youngling like him showed him proper respects, his dark hair swaying in the wind as he stood up. "Give me a reason to spare you, and I might." He said after a small nod of his head in acknowledgement of the others presence.

The boy stretched his limbs, and the man assumed that he had been running for quite some time as well. Was this encounter truly a chance meeting or …?

The boy spoke after a short silence, as if to convince himself that he was not afraid of him.  
"I might have an offer for you."

The darkness of the night, the way the shadows kept changing in the dim light of the moon, it all did nothing to hide the man's disinterest.

"What could you possibly posses that could interest me?" The man inquired.

"An opportunity" The boy, or rather man spoke confidently, eyeing him like an owl.

He caught himself having the urge to sigh. "Speak, child." His voice remained devoid of any emotion.

"I'd rather show you." The stranger simply opened a scroll and released the seal. When the small lightshow and the smoke had cleared, he could clearly see, despite the darkness, two items laying there, and-

The man's eyes went wide, shocked, amused, disgusted…

"How did you get… _this_?" The man said, slightly fascinated and slightly disgusted. He touched …_it_… for the lack of a better word. _It_ was still in a perfect state, despite the obvious damage. He continued poking it, observing, while addressing the boy absentmindedly. "This is an offer I cannot refuse, but tell me, what is the price?"

The boy smiled wickedly, his sharp teeth bared in the grin. "All I request is to become your student."

The man stopped poking and blinked. And blinked again. And then;

"Hahaha! You are a cunning child, I give you that!" He all but roared. "Manipulative, even. Very well, my apprentice, it has been long since I trained someone, but I am certain that you will suffice."  
If he could have, he would have wiped some tears of laughter from his eyes. Instead he let the shadows cover his eyes, calming his breath.

"Of course, there is one condition to becoming my apprentice." He said after a moment of silence. "Become my spy."

The grin widened.

"With pleasure."

* * *

**NOTES; **

Control over Sand and Fire means instant death in a desert. (Glass is sharp, you know, and quite deadly when used as a weapon, like here is just created and tossed around without any control. Poor woman…

**All hail the symbolism!** I hope you got them. Some were easy to get, like the difference between Shika and Sasuke & Naruto's perception of the desert, which symbolizes their different roles in the village of the leaf. Also note that Shika travels during the night, when the desert is cold and dead, while Sasuke and Naruto cross it in the middle of the day during the blazing heat. That symbolizes their nature, and the way they make choices. (Basically, Shika is stealthy, prone to keeping secrets and over-contemplates a lot, while Sasuke and Naruto are powerful like the sun, brutal like the heat, but much less rational and extremely obvious. Their linked hands symbolize the most important thing of team 7; TEAMWORK!)

Not much symbolism for Temari, since she is very straight forward, though there is some. Try to spot it. Shika has way too much. I'm not even going list it all. Just look for curtains, my dears. Oh yeah, and death was symbolized way to much this chapter. (Does anybody actually get it?) **An omen, maybe?**

**TITLE? **It's Latin. Google it my dears. The quote underneath is a proverb of my first language, meaning that life isn't always good. (Literally; Life isn't always about roses)

**Remake Romance: **yes, for the sake of valentine's day and the completion of the remake, I put a little bit more romance in it. Also, as my valentine's gift for you this year; a list of trivia;

**TRIVIA:**

_- Shikamaru lost his mask in the woods, but it is not lost forever. Remember the little story of the mask maker? Remember the desert? *HINT HINT*_

_- When I started this story, I didn't even intend to end it. Hell, I just had a crazy idea that I had to get out of my system. That's why there is an enormous hiatus between chapter 2 and 3. After chapter 2, I sort of quit. Then, I got an idea somewhere in September last year and I started writing it again. Now, 8 chapters and a remake later, a good plot is just waiting to be put onto paper._

_- Temari hates fish, Shikamaru loves it, according to the books. I intend to do something with that to symbolize the differences between their cultures._

_- I love team 7, and Itachi. Itachi is actually mentioned a lot of times, though indirectly. He will play a very minor role in the later, more darker part of the story_

_- Someone will die, just a few arcs away, and it will be the prelude of the darker part of the series. Also the entire discussion of what it means to be a ninja will be very important._

_- Shikaku will soon make his appearance. The reason why he hates ANBU is based on a situation in my real life, and a darker theme in the story._

_- The idea to make Temari 'hate' Gaara was given to me by a reviewer, who said she wouldn't mind if Gaara died. That made me wonder… Kankurou and Gaara are much closer to each other than Temari and Gaara. I wanted an original reason for that. And the (dormant) ability to create glass just made Gaara that much more deadlier…_

**Until next time, my dears. Thank you for all your support. Next time, a brand new chapter of In the Shadows, called **_**'Hometown Glory'**_


	10. Hometown Glory

**Okay, brand new, the homecoming saga! And remember, read between the lines, especially with Yoshino. **

**Note; **this chapter is not beta'd, since my beta quit due to work overload. Nevertheless, this chapter is dedicated to Evercold, who might not be my beta anymore, but was a damn good one. If you read this Evercold, I hope you enjoy. For some reason I haven't been able to contact you, (PM system is kinda fucked up lately) so I hope you are doing okay.

**For more info, read A/N below**

**-0-**

**Chapter 10; Hometown Glory**

_You have to do what you have to do  
You know I'd never judge you  
Still time to close those eyes  
Forget what happened, forget you lied_

The last week of his stay in Suna had been hectic; first he'd had to deal with Gaara's return and all the political mayhem that followed up. Then Sakura, Kankurou and Kakashi, each of them in the hospital with the complications of severe poisoning, had insisted on reporting how Sasori had gotten away ("Though severely injured!" As Sakura had insisted.) three times, each time another version. In the mean time he had been checking up on his objective, the deceptive Hyuuga, and his former partner, miss stubbornness herself. By the time Sasuke and Naruto had finally found their way back to Suna, claiming that they had found an the ruins of an ancient civilization just a few miles away from the great dessert city, the planned twelve days had turned into eighteen. And adding the three day journey homewards to it, he found himself standing in the Hokage's office twenty-one days after his departure. At five AM in the morning.

Shikamaru tried not to squirm as Tsunade looked him with fire in her eyes. Her hands handled a cup of sake like it was a weapon, having kept quiet with difficulty, while Shikamaru relayed what had happened in during his stay in Suna. Despite the fact that he had the height advantage because of her sitting position, he felt like she loomed over him like a furious wave about to swallow him whole.

"So, what you're saying is, you were watching from the roof, like I told you to do," She said, summarizing his words slowly and deadly. "And YET an Akatsuki member was able to take the Kazekage out!" Needless to say, said Hokage wasn't pleased. Shikamaru nodded. "Have you gone blind prematurely?" She all but yelled.

Now, Shikamaru'd had more than enough time to prepare himself for this dreaded conversation and had created a plan; "No, Hokage-sama." The less he'd say, the better. And if she'd become violent, he'd jump out of the window 'in the search for an ancient civilization of his own'. _Best back-up plan ever._

"Then pray tell me;" She continued, slamming her fist down on her desk, making the glass tingle dangerously. "how did you not notice that he was taken away from you, right before your eyes?"

"There was an explosion, and a lot of commotion following after that." Shikamaru answered matter-of-factly, trying not to show his own nervousness. He had reported to the Hokage before. He just hadn't failed mission before and then reported a mission. It didn't matter that he'd held a great account in the survival of Suna's kage, he had left his objective behind and failed to observe the entire meeting. Needless to say, he had left his and Temari's little 'sparring session' out of his report.

"An explosion stopped you?" Tsunade exploded, slaming the sake cup against the wall. Shikamaru tried not squirm at the sound of breaking glass. "What are you, a commoner? You are an ANBU for god's sake! And now I've heard that you disregarded your duty as a spy and protector in order to chase after the Kazekage?"

Shikamaru gulped. "Yes Hokage-sama."

"So you, within good consciousness, allowed a Jinchuuriki to chase an Akatsuki member? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" She continued to yell.

"At the time it seemed like the best plan." Shikamaru argued weakly, but was immediately overruled by the Hokage's powerful voice, who seemed only further enraged by his response.

"You ignored every order I gave you! What if Hyuuga Hinata would have died? Or would have been seriously injured? Do you even know what her father would do to me? To you? Did you calculate that into your 'best plan at the time'?" The hokage brought a hand up to her forehead, obviously trying to calm herself. She seemed more exhausted than tired, it seemed, and Shikamaru figured that the political mayhem of his little adventure was giving her hell time with the council.

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, let's not go too deep into something that did not happen. She is fine, she is waiting right outside of this room, and so is team 7." Shikamaru defended, now the woman had calmed down somewhat. "And what's more, they took out an Akatsuki member, seriously injured another one and returned the Kazekage safe and sound."

"Do you really think the Suna council cares about that?" Tsunade spat out bitterly. "They will twist this to their advantage. This entire event is nothing but a political fiasco… "

"Only if you let it be." Shikamaru muttered, but the Hokage heard it nevertheless.

Her eyes were like the lit end of a cigarette, burning into him_._"What do you mean?"

Shikamaru hesitated, but at seeing that this could be his rescue, continued. "If they can twist it to their benefit, so can we."

"I see no way out of this mess for us right now." Tsunade said bitterly.

"Well, the meeting ended before a decision could be reached whether or not to go to war. Before this event, most of the officials were in favor of an all out war, but I think we can agree on the fact that that would only cost us shinobi, instead of win us battles." Shikamaru explained patiently, trying to keep his voice steady.

Tsunade's eyes had narrowed calculatingly. "So, what do you propose?"

"Write them a letter, saying that you understand that an action like this cannot go unpunished, but that you are glad that the council's tactic of attacking the Akatsuki with a small group, before splitting them up worked so well, and that you are confident that this great tactic will also be of use for us during the rest of the war."

"There is no fool in that council that will just let such a compliment from the Hokage slide to mention that it hadn't been their idea in the first place." Tsunade muttered, a creepy smile slipping on her face. "You…. God knows you should be a politician! You can play this game just as dirty as those old crooks I have to work with on a daily basis."

Shikamaru just nodded politely. Despite her vulgar choice of words and disgusting drinking habits, she was the highest official of this village, one that demanded respect. And one that could and would smash your skull in if you didn't show her any proper respect.

Tsunade cleared her throat, seemingly calmed down somewhat. "Kakashi mentioned in between the size of the Kazekage's sister's chest and of Akasuna no Sasori's exact words before he escaped that you led the retrieval team and came up with the main strategy that made this mission to a success." She said, and Shikamaru blinked somewhat sheepishly. Tsunade continued. "Now, I will forget this slip up, and acknowledge that you did handle the situation as good as was possible at the time, but next time I would appreciate it if you actually kept your eyes on the objective. I do not pay you to laze around, do you understand? You won't get off the hook this easily again, you hear me?"

"Cristal clear." He answered almost too quickly.

The Hokage's gaze kept penetrating his for a few more moments, but apparently finding nothing worrying there, she let it slip and dismissed him. "Okay, now get the hell out of here and tell Tenzou I said hi."

"Yes, ma'm" Shikamaru said hastily and made his way out of the office in record time. The click of the closing door behind him lifted a load of his shoulders, and he was glad she hadn't notice that he hadn't been entirely honest. But it was best for both nations if his little adventure with Temari stayed behind closed curtains.

"So, since she didn't kill you, I guess it's save for us to go in now?" Naruto inquired almost hesitantly, and maybe if he hadn't been grinning like a madman Shikamaru would have believed in his so-called caution. Team 7 had been impatient the entire road back home, and when the Hokage had asked him to enter after Kakashi's visit, the junior members of the team had been nothing short of outraged at the prospect of having to wait even longer.

"Yup." Shikamaru replied, feeling a little bit less tensed. "But I wouldn't push your luck and keep her waiting."

Sakura nodded politely and she and her boys barged into the room with shouts of vulgar greetings, but Shikamaru tuned their noisy homecoming out in favor of talking to the last occupant of the waiting room.

"Thank you, Raiu-san."

Shy, quiet little Hinata, whom had kept quiet the entire time, and just stood in the far left corner as if waiting there was the most natural thing in the world. Who would have thought that she was hiding such an affaire? Well, still waters run deep, as the young woman had confirmed once again.

"I did nothing but my job, Hyuuga-san." He said, feeling as if her pearlescent eyes looked right through his disguise. "There is no need to thank me."

Hinata shook her head discreetly, and offered him a soft smile. "For not telling the Hokage. I know you should have reported it, but I am glad you didn't."

It was true that he hadn't passed this information to his superiors, but on second thought he couldn't quite remember why. So he just nodded and said; "Oh… you're welcome then, I guess." Sometimes it was best not to question one's first hunch.

"To express my gratitude, I would like to invite you to come and have lunch with me." She said politely, guiding him towards the door. "I insist on thanking my protector properly."

"I'm afraid I'd have to decline your request, because my mission isn't officially over yet." Shikamaru told her as they walked out of the building. This was technically not a lie, but not the reason for his refusal. No, the clean wind of his hometown and the smell of rain could be blamed for that.

"Dinner, then?" Hinata urged, never raising her voice. "So we could talk a little bit more at a more….suited place."

Well, if she put it that way… He was curious after all. "Is tomorrow, 8 o'clock all right with you then?"

Her face lit up in an accomplished smile, and her pace became a little less hurried. " At 8 o'clock at the Izuna's teahouse?" She asked, and he nodded. "Splendid. See you there Raiu-san, I'm sure I can find my way home without your aid, after all, you are a busy man?" And she chuckeled a bit as she made her departure, turning into a small alley that would undoubtedly lead her faster to the enormous compound that the Hyuuga clan called home.

He watched her go in dazed fashion, confident that she would be safe in their home town, aware that she was mocking him and slightly tired from the entire ordeal. It was time to see Tenzou, get dismissed and catch a few hours of sleep.

Shikamaru sighed, and started walking again, but this time at an unhurried pace; Sensei would forgive his tardiness, and it gave him some time to enjoy his walk through this busy part of Konoha. Despite the many people and shops, the center of their city was still green and flocked with trees, their musky sent mixing with the smell of rain that was impending to fall. The clouds flocked the sky, leaving little patches of light on the street and taking his breath away.

Suna was beautiful, both technologically and architectonically, but it wasn't his home. And despite all the excitement and beautiful places that his job brought him, it also gave him homesickness at times like these.

By the time he had reached one of the covert openings of the underground system, he was at peace. Effortlessly, he sneaked in, retrieved his stuff and made his way through the underground maze into the HQ and went straight to the Captain Commander's office.

"Raiu, reporting back to base." He droned out, as he had heard his sensei do a thousand times before.

"Mission status?" The commander asked, not even looking up from the paperwork on his desk. This question was merely a formality; he wouldn't have returned if the mission hadn't been a success. ANBU Policy, and stuff.

"Success." Shikamaru said, "There were a few unforceen causualities, but they have been taken care of. The Hyuuga heir is back, safe and sound, and the Suna council has been turned into our favor. The war against Akatsuki will 98% certain be fought out by our village Black Opps. Any further intel can be found in my report." He said dutifully, and got the report from his back. He'd had quite a bit of spare time while team 7 was recovering in the hospital, and he had used it to write down his report, or rather find the words to effectively cover up all that he couldn't put to words.

The Captain Commander met his eyes for a moment and took the file, skimming over the first few pages, he muttered a few "oh"s, and an occasional "I see". Shikamaru waited patiently for the man to dismiss him, and when he did, he saluted his superior dutifully and left the office. After all, before his 'dinner date' there was one more person he'd had to speak. Such were the formalities of a homecoming.

Unsurprisingly, he found his teacher not in Tenzou's room, but in his own, sitting on his bed and restructuring some of the wooden floor. When Shikamaru had entered the room and closed the door, his teacher met his eyes.

"Ah, so I see you have returned from Suna!" He said, almost amiably.

Shikamaru grinned slightly in response. "I even got you something." With a swift moment he retrieved something from his back and threw it at his sensei, who caught it with grace, and opened the small package.

"Are you mocking me?" Tenzou said, eyeing his present skeptically. It was a small cactus.

"Of course not. I'm not suicidal." Shikamaru said, not once meeting his teachers gaze, preferring to get his gear out of his back and into his closets over having an unimportant conversation with his sensei. He was hungry, tired and still had a meeting with Konoha's uncrowned princess AND his mother on the planning today, so his bullshit tolerance was wearing low.

"Then why, my dear apprentice, do you intend me to face my weakness?" Tenzou said, almost playfully.

It was true. The master off trees and leaves himself could not create cacti, something only few people knew. "I thought you'd might want to use it as… practice." Shikamaru said, deliberately facing a closet so his teacher couldn't see the smile that had crept up his face. "Weren't those your words, 'What you can't do is all what you have yet to learn'?" Vengeance was sweet.

Tenzou turned the miniature cactus around. "Well," He said, after putting some thought to it. "I guess there is no harm in keeping it. It takes minimal care and could be a great weapon in case somebody decides to break into my house."

"Because that's a very likely scenario." Shikamaru replied sarcastically, throwing his mission back pack in a relatively clean corner. His room in the HQ wasn't exactly clean, but then again, his mother wouldn't check and he didn't mind. Without looking if they were clean, he picked some casual clothing from said aforementioned corner and put them on. "And a 'thank you for your thoughtfulness' would have sufficed, you know."

Tenzou ignored his comment and put the plant away carefully. "How was Suna, anyway?"

"Hot." Shikamaru said noncommittally, as he sat down on the bed besides his teacher.

"Thought so."

Then an awkward silence ensued until Tenzou broke it. "You are hiding something from me, aren't you?"

"Nothing that you wouldn't hide from me." Shikamaru said without losing his poker face. It wasn't a lie; officially Tenzou had no right to know anything about Shikamaru's mission.

"Don't be a smart-ass." His sensei scowled, raising his chin and meeting Shikamaru eye to eye, as if he wanted to over tower the young man. "And spit it out."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes defensively. "There is nothing to say."

"Sure there isn't." Tenzou said, leaning in aggressively. "Now, spit it out, or I'm assigning you for a retraining next week. And trust me, I'll be sure to beat it out of you then."

Shikamaru snorted haughtily and smirked. "Try as you might, old man. There is nothing here to beat out of me."

"We'll see that next week." Tenzou sing-songed, getting up from the bed. "Don't forget to bring your mask, I want to test the new Jounin training grounds." And he turned around, strutted haughtily, preparing to leave.

"I can't." Shikamaru uttered, softly, just loud enough for Tenzou to hear.

The man turned around, with a no-nonsense look on his face. "I beg your pardon?" Refusal was not in his dictionary. They were on good therms, but Tenzou was still his superior and at the end of the day he would not accept it if his position would be undermined.

"I…" Shikamaru stammered. "Kind of lost it."

Then there was an awkward silence and a lingering tension in the room, and Shikamaru counted mentally;_'three, two, one-'_

"YOU DID WHAT?" His teacher bellowed, appearing in front of him and slamming him into the door. His back ached at the impact but at the moment Shikamaru was more focused on the hand on his neck. There was no longer any hint of playfulness in his voice. This was serious business

"I said I lost my mask." He said slowly, dead serious.

Tenzou's grip was unrelenting. "And you are sure that nobody discovered your identity?" He snarled, using his free hand to grab Shikamaru's head and slam him against the wall. "Positive." Shikamaru spit out, his throat aching at every word he got out. "I used a henge to create a new mask."

"Are you sure?" Tenzou said, his grip tightening further, making it hard to lie.

"Yes!" Shikamaru choked out, while trying to wiggle free. It was however of no use; his sensei had transformed his wooden floor into a deadly weapon that kept him nailed to the door. Acute pain rushed through him, telling him be loyal and tell the truth, but he bit the thought, alongside the pain back, and met his teacher's furious gaze without any fear.

"One hundred percent?" Tenzou howled, body tense, nostrils flaring. "Were you seen?"

"I'm sure!" Shikamaru lied with tears in his eyes. He was starting to see black spots dancing in front of his vision. "The henge – argh! - was perfect!"

The hand on his neck tightened, "YOU'RE NOT LYING ARE YOU?" Tenzou roared, shoving him possibly even harder against the door.

"NO!" Shikamaru yelled out hoarsely, and then felt the pressure on his throat dissolve as Tenzou released his jutsu. He fell to the ground, his body greedily inhaling all the air he could get, his throat aching.

Tenzou turned around, perfect posture, eyes to the ground. "… Ever so resourceful, now. You make me proud." He muttered out, maybe as an apology, maybe as an explanation. "But you still lost it…" He added, gruffly.

"Was that really necessary?" Shikamaru panted, tears blurring his already wavering vision**, **waiting for the stars to disappear.

"Not if you wouldn't have coughed up the details right away when I gave you the chance." His teacher replied, not offering him any help or remorse.

Standing up just barely only to let himself fall down on the bed once he had reached it. "You don't care that I practically failed the mission?" He said, eyeing his teacher warily.

"But in the end I didn't, so I'm not." Tenzou said, and then added sternly; "Though I am quite displeased that you decided to go into battle unprepared."

"I lost my gear in the explosion and since time was of essence, I had no time to retrieve them." Shikamaru explained.

But his teacher never liked excuses. "You shouldn't have lost them in the first place!" He thundered. "And how about always having a backup plan?"

"Did you think I didn't have one?" Shikamaru retorted skeptically. "Besides, I took out the two remaining would-be captors of Uchiha Sasuke."

"Really, now? That deserves a celebration. I might let you off the hook from leaving your katana on some rooftop if you pay for the drinks." His teacher said, for the first time since their little clash meeting his eyes. There was no guilt there, but Shikamaru never expected there to be. Instead Tenzou offered him a hand, and Shikamaru took it. His back hurt slightly as he got up, but he ignored it. He would be black and blue by tomorrow, but nothing that wouldn't fade. His teacher knew his limits better then himself, he would never push him further then he could recover from.

With a click of the door, they left the messy room behind. The floor had been restored to it's original state, and the tension was nearly gone.

"But I retrieved it…" Shikamaru muttered sourly, letting his fingers stroke the hilt of his katana.

His teacher scowled, a small smile on his face as they walked through the shallows halls. "You shouldn't have left it there in the first place."

He rolled his eyes at that. "You don't say!"

"Well, at least you got a tan out of it." His teacher added as an afterthought, a slight playfulness.

The young anbu halted his steps and took a look at his appearance."I did?" After a quick check up, Shikamaru concluded that he had indeed tanned notably, which wasn't good at all. "Shit!"

Tenzou reached for one of his own pockets and retrieved a small bottle from it, which he handed over to his pupil. "Here, this should help."

Shikamaru took the bottle of what was most likely some kind of skin bleacher. "Thanks."

Tenzou looked at him in an almost fatherly fashion. "Better take good care of that, otherwise people might guess that Nara Shikamaru wasn't where he said he was."

"I'd better leave now, I've got some sleep to catch up." Shikamaru said when they reached the exit of the underground system.

"Okay, I'll sent you a bird with the info about that sparring match you owe me. Take care." Tenzou said, waving him off fondly as they parted. Shikamaru, no longer in ANBU gear, hurried to get away as far as possible from the Anbu, for it was best to be the least associated with ANBU as possible. Despite his hurry, he could swear he heard his teacher's voice from a distance, telling him to pack sunscreen next time.

The road home was uneventful. He was tired and his little clash with his teacher had done him no good either. It was only 2 in the afternoon by the time he reached his home, but he entered the house with every intention to head straight back to bed.

His plans were altered dramatically when he found his living room pleasantly full.

"Hey Shika!" Ino greeted him, seeming genuinely surprised at his arrival. She was not the only one present; apparently both his ex-teammates had come over to his house in his absence and were now happily conversing with his mother, who looked rather happy with all the attention she received.

"Hey everybody." He replied, making eyecontact with every last one of them. "So, who organized this welcome home party?"

"Get real! Not everything is about you." His mother joked harshly, but Shikamaru took no offence.

"Is there still cake?" He said instead, knowing fully that there was no way that they'd known of his return. This was nothing but utter coincidence, or rather, bad luck. He wasn't going to see the inside of his eyelids any time soon, if his friends had any say in this.

"No, but maybe if you'd actually leave a note next time you decide to take off, I could actually plan a surprise party for you." His mother berated him in that typical nagging voice that he came to hate so much during his childhood.

"Yes mother." He replied in kind, not really meaning it.

His mother knew that, and sighed, drawing her mouth into a straight line and biting lip . In the mean time, Shikamaru didn't miss the little look Chouji and Ino shared. He meant to address it, but let it go. He was way too tired for this troublesome shit right now.

He sighed, put down his fake mission bag and took a seat in between Ino and his mother. Chouji smiled warmly at him, welcoming him back and offering him to eat some cake another time, which both he and Ino gladly accepted.

After his friends had updated him on the latest news of the shinobi part of the village, they convinced not only his mother but also Shikamaru himself to go out and eat something at the BBQ palace.

Both he and his mother argued only half-heartedly, and though Shikamaru could not grasp his mother's reasons, he was just glad to avoid the imminent confrontation with his father for not only forgetting the note _again, _but also for being absent more often then not. Normally he'd have that conversation with his mother, but she seemed awfully out of it today.

Before he left, he told her they'd catch up later, and she seemed to brighten marginally at his unusual comment. They'd been a lot closer during his childhood and it was true that they had grown apart a bit lately, which was sadly the case with most of his life-long relationships.

Ino might hide it with her overbearing personality and Chouji would never mention it, but Shikamaru could notice in little things like these that they felt it too, and regretted it as well. But there was nothing they could do, and nothing he would do, so he let them lead him to their old regular seat in the barbeque restaurant.

It was a rather nice affair, the dinner, and it would have been nicer if Shikamaru hadn't been so tired. Still the food was good and the company even better. He enjoyed listening to Ino's buoyant voice, telling unlikely tales as Chouji corrected her a few times modestly. They didn't seem that bothered by the fact that he didn't supply much more than 2 word sentences, and Shikamaru was glad. Sitting here, just eating and listening to his friends, made the homecoming complete. Though there was still a lot to take care off and even more missions to follow, it was nice to be home, and Shikamaru let a smile creep up his face at that thought.

Shikamaru took another good look at these people he called his best friends. He hadn't been around too much, he knew that, but he hadn't lied to Temari; these were his siblings. It was amazing to see the people his skinny loudmouth and his insecure fatty of a best friends had grown into, and the persons that they were becoming. It was funny to see Ino eat more, and Chouji eat less. They didn't care as much about how they looked as they had done before, and sometimes Shikamaru wondered exactly when they had grown up. They had never been triplets, there had always been some kind of hierarchy in their team, though never verbally acknowledged, but right now Shikamaru felt proud of his younger siblings, and everything they embodied.

No matter how tedious and long his missions, no matter how dark and twisted his other persona would become, he felt that if he could just always fall back on these people, somehow he would be alright.

When the evening fell and it was time to leave, they walked home the long road, enjoying each other's company and the beautifully colored clouds above them. With many promises to see each other soon, they said goodbye to Ino, and it was only then that Shikamaru realized that Chouji's house was in the exact opposite direction of where the two of them were heading to. He shot his friend a questioning look, but didn't receive as much as an answer back. His body language screamed relief for some reason, so Shikamaru thought it couldn't be that bad. He silently led them away from the crowded streets, up the monument.

There they lay down on their backs, watching the clouds. Or rather, trying to watch the clouds, because Shikamaru was looking right through them, seeing the events of the last weeks play out in front of his inner eye. And he waited, waited for Chouji to tell him what was bothering.

"I killed someone yesterday." Chouji suddenly said, and Shikamaru sat back up, looking at his friend, who avoided his eyes. He motioned him to continue.

"I killed a woman." He repeated, whispering the truth as if he himself doesn't even believe it. "She attacked us, threatened our objective…"

Shikamaru nodded; Chouji had not killed out of need. Not because he was saving a life or avenging a loved one, but because the mission required it. It was not a honorable kill, not one that would be justified in his mind by the rage or fear of losing someone, but it was just a kill. It was always hard, Shikamaru would know, he had just killed two people for the sake of the village, of peace. Two people who had been in love, who had died side by side. He remembered the morbid beauty of death like theirs. But they had threatened Temari, a person for whom he cared, so killing them had been easier. That, and he had done it many times before-

Then it clicked. _'Oh shit, I really have been away from my friends too much.'_

"Was it your first kill?" He said, but Chouji didn't answer. That was all Shikamaru needed, he understood. "How did you kill her?" He asked, not searching for his friends eyes anymore.

Chouji leaned back in the grass, and blinked a few times, as if he tries to wipe the images out of his eyes. Shikamaru saw him going back in time, remembering everything. Tenzou did the same with him, letting him go through everything again in silence, so he could close the door behind his past.

"I slit her throat with a kunai." He says after a while. "I wasn't angry, I knew I had to do it, and I did it, and-" He stops mid-sentence, looking at Shikamaru now. The tears were in his eyes, and the smile that was plastered on his face previously was now replaced by a trembling upper lip; his friend was hurting.

"Her eyes?" Shikamaru supplied, remembering. Chouji looked at him incredulously, as if connecting all the information, and his friend's calm.

"I was 13." He supplied, letting his eyes glaze over for a second in remembrance. "I remember killing him in cold blood." He remembered so much more he'd rather not explain, but the pleading eyes of his friend forced him to continue.

"I remember calculating which angle would be the deadliest, how much strength I had to apply, and I remember how it felt to run my sword through his body, to see him fall to the ground, en die." He continued, sounding as empty as the void the kill had left behind. He looked at his hands, remembering the sword he had held, the same sword that was sealed in the tattoo on his shoulder right now, the sword that had been covered by blood. The visions swarmed his mind, and then they were suddenly gone. He blinked the pain away, and continued.

He was certain Chouji had seen that little transformation just now. The eerie silence that hung between them said that much. "Oh. I didn't know you had killed before." He says, and Shikamaru squeezes his shoulder for a moment to comfort him.

"I never told you." He said, not looking away this time. "I felt horrible at the time though. I vowed never to kill again."

Chouji looked at him in a way that gave away that he had vowed the exact same thing, and Shikamaru almost smiled; even if they had grown apart somewhat in the past years, they were still the same in many aspects.

"And then I made my second kill, and it was even worse." He ignored the fact that Chouji looked at him as if he was seeing an entirely different person. "And then I made another kill, and another, and over time, it was scary how easy it became."

"Did it become easier?" Chouji asked, still looking at him strangely. Shikamaru didn't like it.

"Killing? Yes, frighteningly so." He answered truthfully, and he smiled a humorless smile. "Dealing with it? Yes. You need to learn to push the guilt under the rug and go on. Otherwise, it overwhelms you."

Chouji looked at him, and he could read the questions in his eyes. Like; _"How many people did you kill_?" And _"Why you? What happened while we were training for the chuunin exam?"_ But he didn't ask any of them, instead asked; "I never expected this… from you."

Shikamaru snorted slightly, though a bitter laugh was evident in the sound. "We are Shinobi. It's part of the job description, sadly. It's what I do to protect you, and those I love. Don't you do that as well?"

Chouji nodded, his visage not showing relief, but only some closure.

Shikamaru smiled a quiet smile, and he let his thoughts wonder while Chouji told him all about the mission, every gruesome detail, and Shikamaru listened, showing the acceptance that his friend needed.

When they parted, Shikamaru knew that Chouji wasn't alright, but he knew that over time, he would be.

* * *

Okay , here it is! The tenth, all new chapter of In the Shadows, homecoming. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The challenge I set for myself was to write a chapter with no line breaks, meaning that everything had to add up to make the story run smoothly.

This could be considered a filler chapter, however, it isn't. It's a transition chapter that I use to show some character development, and some cracks in the daily life of Nara Shikamaru. If any of you thought Tenzou too harsh, then you should reconsider his persona; he's a teacher in combat, he isn't going to be as soft as Asuma was, because he wan't Shikamaru to survive. It's tough love, but Shikamaru gets that.

I had a hard time writing Yoshino without giving too much away, so that scene is short. But do you get the hints? No. Of course not.

Other then that, long time no see. Yes, I've been absent. The truth is, the final exam came up and I had to study a lot. Now that I'm most likely going to graduate cum laude, I actually have time to write. That doesn't mean I haven't been writing during the past few months. Would you be surprised to know that I already wrote the most of the end? It's rather… dramatic, I suppose (with extra angst, just the way I like it.) So to make up for it;

**CONTEST**

The summary sucks, I know. So I want you guys to write a better one for me! The winner gets either an exclusive sneak preview into my stash of ITS, or gets to insert a theme of their choosing into a scene. Which one is up to the winner! The only rule is that it should fit in the fanfiction summary area, so it has to be rather to the point... or not. That's up to you guys

**Next chapter**

_Anyway, the next chapter will address some issues that have been put aside for too long, and Hinata will have her say, putting a whole new chain of events in motion. Trust me, you're in for a ride, because this arcs main character is about to be introduced!_

… Okay, that was quite the spoiler, don't you think? I love that, using a lot of words to say absolutely nothing! It's an art. Now, be a good reader and review, tell me what you think. Which homecoming was your favorite; superior, teacher, family or friends?

**Hungry for more ITS-verse?** Check out my latest semi-side fic; **twelve toes**. It is team 7 centered, set a few years in the future. I originally intended it to be a part of ITS, but then the plot changed and… well, you'll see why it doesn't add up, but still is too funny _not_ to be posted.

Bye!


	11. Alternate Appearances

_New record anybody? I couldn't help myself, but I got so many wonderful responses, reviews that told me exactly what I needed to hear to be able to produce this chapter. I had fun writing Hinata, and I hope this chapter is all you expected it to be. For more info, read the end of the chapter. Until then, enjoy!_

_Also, this chapter is dedicated to_ ScarecrowKakashi_, who had a request that made me glad… because it was already part of the plan! You'll see why, my dear!_

_**Warning**__; Subtle mindfuck, vague racism. _

* * *

**Chapter 11; Alternate appearances**

* * *

_Sometimes  
I feel that I should go and play with the thunder  
Somehow  
I just don't wanna stay and wait for a wonder_

It was nice to be in Konoha again. His mother always left him alone to relax a little when he returned from a long term mission. She had been uncharacteristically silent these days, but with the promise to talk later, she gave him a bento, like she used to do when it was just the two of them and sent him off.

The story he'd told his mom, and his friends for that matter, was that he needed some alone time to progress things and left for the far east corner of the Nara wood. He'd implied there had been a lot of gore and bloodshed, and each party had agreed to give him his time alone. He'd promised he'd be back before dinner, and when they had nothing left to say to each other, Shikamaru departed.

He didn't leave for the meadows, although he promised himself he'd visit the sacred hills soon. Instead he slipped into the sewers, made his way to the underground ruins and walked until he reached the room he had claimed as his own. There he stored the bento and his clothing. It affected him slightly to let his mother's hard work go to waste, especially since she hadn't bothered to make one in forever, but the feeling was a passing one. When he was dressed in the proper attire, he preformed a hench and a fake copy of his mask was secured into place.

Then, he departed and made his way to the north-eastern part of town. This part of the city was without a doubt reserved for the upper class; the city was littered with remnants of the Genroku period, and wealth was everywhere. While the lower classed ninja and civilians had suffered and coped with the aftermath of the luxurious lifestyle of the people of that time, the elite still bathed in it's remains.

Nevertheless, this part of Konoha was beautiful, yet exclusive. He made his way through the wonders of architecture, passed a few ancient temples and walked past the impressive entrance of both the Hyuuga and the Uchiha clan. It was the latter clan that officially still owned the tearoom he entered. Izuna, one of Sasuke's distant ancestors, had been the brother of the more famous Uchiha Madara. And though his life's tale was rather tragic, he had seemed to have penchant for tea, so after his death his brother had named various teahouses after his beloved little brother.

It was strange to be meeting the Hyuuga heir in a place that was so inevitably associated with the Uchiha name; it was no secret that the two clans hadn't exactly gotten along during their heyday.

Nevertheless, Shikamaru met his dark-haired companion at two o'clock sharp at Izuna's teahouse. She was sitting there, serenely, as she bowed politely to acknowledge his arrival. Though the typical teahouse was smaller, this one seemed to combine multiple secluded tearooms into on room. There were separating doors, to ensure privacy, but the fact that they weren't higher then a meter gave the room an open feeling. It was obvious that while the outside of this shop seemed to have come right out of the late 17th century, the inside had been changed quite a lot over the ages.

Shikamaru sat down on a cushioned tatami mat, that felt way to comfortable to fit in the strict ideal of soberness of the Edo period, and met Hinata's eyes for the first time.

"I'm glad you could come, Raiu-san." She said politely, filling a cup of tea for the both of them without even once showing her wrists. When she had hung the cattle back above the sunken hearth and had offered him his cup, he uttered a thanks, for both the tea and the welcome.

Then, she spoke. "I hope it was easy to find this place, Raiu-san."

Shikamaru nodded. "I had no trouble. Thank you for the invitation." He answered, rolling his eyes behind his mask. Nobles and their pleasantries that prevented them from getting straight to the point.

Hinata giggled softly, and continued speaking, more solemnly than she looked. "I am eternally thankful for your secrecy. Consider this tea as a token of my gratitude."

Shikamaru looked down at his tea, holding it politely. He wasn't really fazed with the fact that Hinata seemed somewhat uncomfortable with his refusal to drink the tea, but he had accepted the cup so considered that he had lived up to the expectation. No costoms or traditions were going to make him remove his mask to drink, and the Hyuuga princess might as well know that from the start. He followed her rules, but in the end he was here not for the sake of her gratitude; he was here for the information.

After a few silent moments, Hinata set her cup down and folded her hands in her lap, het eyes downcast. "I am terribly sorry to burden you with my problems." She said, as if to excuse her behavior.

Shikamaru waved it off. "It is no problem, Hyuuga-san. I would be glad to be off any help."

Hinata nodded, still not meeting his eyes. Then, she sighed. "It started all so innocently, you know?" She said, tucking a few hairs behind her ear. "It was my first job as an ambassador, and… I don't know, it just clicked between us. He wasn't as frightening as I thought he was. And then, everything just went so natural, like it was our fate to be together." She muttered the last part.

Shikamaru refrained from sighing. The Hyuuga's and their twisted view of faith. Outwardly, he tried to open up his body language, as if to invite her to speak more.

"And I kept asking myself, 'why do I do this?', but no matter how many times I tried to quit, how many times I have found myself standing in front of the Hokage's door with every intention to confess everything and beg her to give me a different job, but I couldn't." She confessed, her voice soft. He knew it was hard for her to confess this, but he made no move to comfort her.

"I fell for him, over and over. I tried not to, but I couldn't help myself." Hinata concluded.

Shikamaru allowed the girl to regain her composure, which she did in no-time. She wasn't trained to be a commoner, after all. Then, he said; "You must know the possible outcome of your situation. Not just for the two of you, but for both your families and villages." His words weren't sugar coated, but after being deceived by this woman, Shikamaru didn't feel the need to.

"I know it cross-village relationships are frowned upon. And I am well aware that me, the Hyuuga heir, marrying the Kazekage would be out of the question. But despite knowing all that, I can't help it." She said in defense, raising her chin to meet his eyes for the first time as if daring him to challenge her words. "I love him."

Shikamaru deliberately raised his eyebrow. "I never questioned your feelings." He said, not fazed by the Hyuuga's expressiveness. "However, I can't help but question your love for your clan and village."

"I do love them!" She said, harsher than she intended to. A few other occupants of the teahouse looked their way, taking in the sight of an defensive heir and a passive ANBU. Hinata sank down in her seat and her cheeks started to adopt a darker shade of red. "I mean, I do, truly, respect my home and upbringing."

"Then why, I wonder, would you endanger each of those things you claim to 'love' with this relationship of yours." Shikamaru questioned without hiding the irony in words.

From his place, he could see Hinata wring her hands in her lap, as she stumbled to find the right words. "I- I- I'm- No… It- It's complicated." She stuttered out.

"I'm sure it is." The ANBU said with fake comfort. He was enjoying this a little bit too much.

Hinata's gaze narrowed and she pursed her lips. "As I said." She brought out with a hint of hesitation lacing her tone. "It is a complicated affair. A common soldier like you would not understand." She ended harshly.

"Now, now, let's not get personal here." He snorted, dismissively. "I do not question your loyalty, rather your intentions."

"I am sorry." She apologized, calming down considerably. "Would you like to have some more tea?"

Shikamaru would have laughed at her sudden retreat into traditions, but didn't in order to keep the conversation going. Instead, he ignored her question, and posed one of his own. "What I am interested in, my lady, is what you intend to do. This is a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode in your face, so to speak. You can't live a double life like this, or both lives will become a façade. "

Hinata's graceful moves faltered slightly before she hung the cattle back at it's original place, and straightened her posture notably with some effort. "I intend to choose." She said solemnly, her mouth twisting grimly. "Soon."

"Okay." Was all Shikamaru replied, because really, there wasn't that much more to say. If Hinata was surprised by his lack of response or attack, she didn't show it. Instead, she took a few more sips from her own tea, and proceeded to pour her heart out to a faceless stranger.

Shikamaru noted that in all the anecdotes she told, she never once mentioned something that could be of political consequence for either Konoha or Suna, while each was laced with the undertone of loyalty issues. Shikamaru listened politely, not once tasting his tea or asking her to elaborate, despite his own curiosity. He heard her out, but all the while there was one question in the back of his mind.

By the time Shikamaru's tea had turned cold, the sky had turned darker and it was almost time to leave in order to return home before dinner, Shikamaru posed the one question that had been haunting him at the back of his mind during the entire conversation. "Before we depart, I still have one question left."

Hinata, whom had calmed and brightened up considerably during her tales, simply nodded. "Of course, Raiu-san."

Shikamaru leaned foreward ever so slightly. "Why did you bring me here?"

Hinata looked genuinely surprised at his question. "Had I not told you? To express my gratitude, of course."

Maybe, if Shikamaru hadn't been slightly paranoia or hadn't noticed the subtle clenching of Hinata's fist, he would have believed those convincingly innocence. "I do not question intentions, Hyuuga-san. But why _this_ place?"

Hinata blinked. "My mother used to bring me here, and I like the atmosphere of this place."

"Is that so?" Now that was a lie if Shikamaru ever heard one. "Because it would just seem, I don't know, _strange_ for the proud wife of the Hyuuga head to purposely make her entrance in an establishment that whose name was so utterly intertwined with their rival."

Hinata gulped, her eyes going wide. "Maybe that's just me." He said too-sweetly, mocking her. "After all, my _common birth _prevents me from seeing such _complicated_ matters correctly, right?" He delivered nearly cruelly, enjoying the way Hinata's posture changed from relaxed to that of a trapped animal. He didn't like being deceived.

Hinata started to fumble with the zipper of her coat, her eyes downcast guiltily. "I am sorry for my words. I did not mean them." She apologized meekly.

"I'm sure it has merely been instilled upon you during you childhood."He said, waving away her words. "But I would like to know why you would pick such an open place instead of something more private for something so _intimate_ as your secret."

"I'm sorry." She apologized, but Shikamaru was done with her pretty words and innocent looks. He urged her to continue. She did, whispering. "It's just, I have to be so careful not to be seen, so in order to keep the secret, I had to be seen. I'm so sorry, for abusing you and your trust like this." Then, she buried her face in her hands, and Shikamaru was not sure whether it was out of embarrassment or shame.

Shikamaru tossed her words around in his head while Hinata continued to fidget and stammer out apologies. "They suspect you are having an affair, correct?"

Hinata stopped talking, looked up and nodded, almost sadly.

"So, you picked this place because it was too strange for the Hyuuga heir to go to a place like this, that people were bound to talk." He had found it strange that she had been so insistent on meeting him, and had been rather suspicious upon entering the shop. Once again, his gut feeling had been true. "And then there was me, a man they hadn't seen before, talking to you. This could be interpreted as _anything_. But you didn't want to make it seem lie we were anything, but something_ special_. That is why you spoke up later, you purposely wanted to make it seem like we were having a fight."

Hinata nodded. "Yes, rumors work so well when they work against you." She supplied, and Shikamaru figured that considering her upbringing, she would know.

"I see now. All this was not to clear your heart, but to make people think that the supposed affair is over." He concluded

"I am so sorry for using you." Hinata supplied once more, while her body slumped foreward somewhat. The tea had been long forgotten. "I hope you will be able to forgive me, someday."

"I don't like to be toyed with, Hyuuga-san." Shikamaru hissed, forcing the heir to look up and meet him in the eye. Then, he let go of his annoyance, and said considerably more softer. "But even I have to admit that this was a game well played."

In Hinata's defense, she hadn't used him just for the sake of toying with somebody."Will you still keep my secret, Raiu-san?" She asked, but in reality Shikamaru could see she was close to begging.

"Now, now, I gave my word, didn't I? I may not be the most considerate of persons, but I do know the importance of secrecy." He said, tapping the side of his mask to emphases his point.

"Right." Hinata said, releasing a sigh in relief.

Shikamaru took a short look around the tearoom, sighed and put his coat back on."Now, I will act my part properly and leave this store in an angry fashion. However, do not forget;" He paused his actions, to make sure that the heir would get the point. "Don't try that again, because that time, I won't play along." He really, really didn't like to be deceived.

Instead of meeting a scared nod, he met sincere gratitude in those blank eyes. "Thank you, Raiu-san, for everything." Her gratitude and relief was so overwhelming, that it made Shikamaru feel a little bit uncomfortable.

"Right." He said awkwardly, then he slammed his fist down on the table, drawing all attention to himself, and said purposely harder then necessary; "I will be taking my leave then! Good day, Hinata!" And left the teahouse promptly, leaving a lot of gossip in his wake. He slammed the door for good measure, making sure to draw even the eyes of the people on the street towards himself, and then promptly vanished into thin air.

* * *

On a far east meadow, Shikamaru promptly awoke from his slumber.

"What is it?" Chouji asked startled by his friends sudden awakening.

"Oh, nothing." Shikamaru said. In reality, the information his shadow clone had given him rather startled him. He'd thought he'd underestimated the Hyuuga before. He would not make that mistake again.

He chuckled darkly; Neither would she.

They had spend a great day outside in the sun, and Shikamaru was very willing to blame his tan on this day of sun bathing. Keeping up that hench all the time was way too troublesome, and his teachers lotion merely softened the ache of a sunburn, which he didn't have. It had been a good idea to make a clone and invite Chouji to make the hike with him, not only for his state of mind and their friendship, but also because he'd realize that his and Raiu's public schedule were starting too match enough for people to connect the dots. Now, he'd had an excuse _and_ a day off. Being lazy did pay off, sometimes. He looked back up at his friend, who was staring at him like he was crazy.

"What" Shikamaru said, laughingly.

Chouji rolled his eyes. "I don't think I even want to know what goes on in your head."

Shikamaru figured he had showed some of his contemplations on his face. He laughed it off, painting a smile on his face. "Don't break yours over it then. Instead, pass me some chips."

Chouji did as he was asked, but still looked at him with some wariness. Shikamaru didn't let it bother him, instead he took one last look at the sky and munched down some chips. Days like these were golden, and made him thankful for not being born into the nobility. He had been sneaking around for over three years, and the worst he got were outbursts from his father and strange looks from his friends once in a while. He blended into the mass. Yes, being normal wasn't always rewarding, but it sure came in handy, sometimes.

He got up and offered Chouji a hand. "Time to go, Chou. I promised I'd be home before dinner, and you know how my mother gets when things don't go her way."

"She's just lonely." Chouji said while he too got up, ever the Good Samaritan.

Shikamaru shrugged, not looking up from gathering their stuff. "She's the only one to blame for that."

"Still, she is your mother." Chouji argued.

Shikamaru halted his actions and gave Chouji a pointed stare. "But I'm not her keeper."

Chouji let it slide, and helped his friend pack their stuff. The road back was rather uneventful. Shikamaru enjoyed the way the setting sun made the sky turn various shades of red, and Chouji seemed to savor his presence, almost afraid that Shikamaru would disappear if he said something wrong.

By the time they reached the village again, the sun had almost disappeared under the horizon, but it wasn't dark yet. That was why, when they passed an infamous ramen stand, team 7 recognized the two of them, and came out to meet him.

"Hey Shikamaru, Chouji, look what we found!" Naruto yelled at them, despite the fact that they were rather close to each other.

Shikamaru made no attempt to speed up his pace, but continued to walk over to them at the pace of snail. Chouji trailed besides him, looking rather suspicious. (With good reason, Shikamaru figured. That team defined insanity)

"We found a Sasuke lookalike!" Sakura proclaimed rather fondly, pulling said man from his chair of the ramen stand.

In a world full of ninja's who could do clone techniques, you'd think it would be nothing special to see two people who looked a lot alike. Especially for Naruto, who cloned himself at least once an hour, for the past three years.

But still, he was standing there, an almost complete double of Uchiha Sasuke. Next to Sasuke stood a young man, same height, same coal eyes, same raven hair. Only the original's hair was longer and his face wore an expression that told Shikamaru that he was obviously not amused.

The other one was smiling on the other hand, and Shikamaru knew that smile all to well.

"You!" He said a little bit angrier than he would've wanted, and way more expressive than his friends knew him. His distaste for the other boy was obvious.

Sai on the other hand stopped smiling as well, and just took in Shikamaru's appearance for a second before saying: "So the kitten is here as well."

Shikamaru almost growled at the name. It referred at his old mask, and their earlier encounter. Root and Regular ANBU never got along very well, but they were exceptions: they got along so horrible that even Sai showed emotion during their encounters. Real emotion, usually on the negative spectrum, not like the smile he was wearing now. "Nice to see your face once in a while" he said, hinting at Shikamaru's hidden occupation.

However, at seeing Sai, he felt a sudden spark of rivalry. Even if it was just to wipe that fake smile of his face so he could look triumphantly at the confused state of mind that clearly showed on his face when that smile faded away. "I would say the same if you weren't hiding it behind that mask."

Mission make Sai stop smiling: successful . As soon as he said those words, the smile faltered. Shikamaru knew that he wanted to make a lot of references to his own mask, but also knew that unconscious fear for the seal on his tongue kept him from making any comment about ANBU in general at the moment. So instead they had a short staring competition, and they both lost interest. They couldn't do or say anything in public anyway, so why bother even looking at someone you don't like?

"You know Sai?" Sasuke asked rather surprised, pulling him and probably Sai as well out of their own little world. He had forgotten why he had come here in the first place.

"Yes," Shikamaru said, willing an annoyed, passive reaction back on his face. "We did a few… missions… together."

Which was true, in some sense of the word.

Sai just smiled fakely at that statement, and the others took that as a confirmation.

"Then," Naruto said, almost contemplatively, "Do you also know our new teamleader?" He motioned his hand towards a man, who was still sitting on a barstool with his back towards them, his face hidden by the small draperies.

"New, what happened to-" the words died in his mouth as the figure turned around, and turned out be none other then his teacher. "Kakashi." He finished lamely, trying to sound as natural as possible and not letting his shock at seeing the man be noticeable.

"How nice to meet you." Tenzou said overly friendly. "My name is Yamato, and I will be leading squad 7 in Hatake-san's absence.

He held out his hand, and Shikamaru shook in it in dazed stupor. Outwardly, they were shaking hands. However, as their eyes met, Tenzou told him a lot of things, but mostly not to freak.

Shikamaru steeled his composure and watched still slightly put off Chouji shook Tenzou's hand amiably and introduced the both of them.

"So, we're going on an Akatsuki hunt!" Sakura suddenly proclaimed when all the pleasantries were done, shaking Shikamaru out o his daze.

"Sakura, you are not supposed to enclose mission details in public." Sai berated, his smile never faltering.

Sakura waved his reservations away. "Oh relax, we're in Konoha, what's going to happen? Besides, we're all _friends_, right?" She said, looking rather happy to call people her friends. A little bit _too _happy, it seemed.

"That is no valid reason for trust. On the contrary, actually." Sai said belittling.

Shikamaru sneered. "No, because lacking personal initiative is definitely preferable."

"Over blind trust and bonds, of course." Sai said rather seriously, which surprised most of their group. Tenzou sighed.

"Oh you two, stop joking." Naruto said, probably not realizing Sai was perfectly serious.

Shikamaru would have probably argued some more with Sai if Tenzou wouldn't have interfered. "Yes, how about each of you go home and rest? It is already getting late and I won't tolerate any tardiness like my sempai."

Sasuke groaned and Sakura and Naruto cheered, while Sai just stood there and smiled, looking slightly forlorn, which suited Shikamaru just fine.

"Yeah, let's go Chouji. After all, I promised I'd be home in time." He said, turning to his friend, who seemed to be glad to get away for some reason. Must be the thought of dinner, Shikamaru figured, and paid it no more thought. "Bye guys, see you around, I guess."

Before he could turn around and leave, Tenzou insisted on 'saying goodbye properly' by shaking their hands. Then, each of them departed, with a few kind words and a few less kind looks towards less favored people.

Shikamaru then proceeded to walk Chouji home.

"That Sai guy is strange, don't you think?" Chouji commented at one point.

Shikamaru shrugged, more irritated then he let on. "You tell me."

"Just how do you know him?" Chouji questioned. "I mean, I've never seen him around."

"Some mission, a few years back. When I was 14, I believe. He was a member of my squad." Shikamaru explained rather dully.

Chouji glanced at him sideways, rather curiously. "Did he mess things up?"

"No he didn't. He's not a bad shinobi." Shikamaru shook his head and sighed. "He's just not a good person."

"Aren't we all?" His friend uttered out, sounding rather sincere.

Shikamaru stopped and faced his friend. "You're still upset about what happened during your last mission." It was not as much of a question as much as it was a statement.

Chouji met his eyes, the guilt still lingering there. "Yeah."

Shikamaru sighed. "Didn't I tell you to push the guilt under the rug and go on. See what it's doing to you?"

"I tried!" Chouji said, raising his hands in defense. "I mean, I'm trying."

Tenzou would have told him to try harder, Asuma would have told him to try again and his father would have told him not to try in the first place. But Shikamaru said; "Be patient, over time, you will succeed. I know you will. Just don't forget that at the end of the day you are still alive, and never forget that you feel this _because_ you are a good person."

He touched his friend's shoulder briefly for comfort, then broke the contact and turned around, motioning his friend to follow him, which Chouji did. Together they walked back to Chouji's house. "That is what makes Sai strange, Chouji, and a bad person to boot it." Shikamaru said as an after thought. "He doesn't care about what he does or who it effects, as long as he accomplishes his goal at the end of the day. The fact that you can still feel remorse and mercy, is a good sign."

"Then why does it suck feeling this way?" Chouji asked, some laughter back in his voice.

"To remind you." Shikamaru answered. Chouji brightened notably, but he himself felt rather bad. _'A mission is a mission' _was what ANBU had taught him. In reality, he wasn't that much different from Sai. Root was ANBU too, only they went a little bit further. While ANBU had a life on the side, ROOT ANBU skipped that part and became the mask that was supposed to protect them. Shikamaru felt conflicted, and didn't loose that feeling as he said good night to his friend, promising to contact soon.

Then, Shikamaru set off. It seemed that he would have to disappoint his mother one more time, he thought as he read the note his teacher had slipped him during their handshake.

'_Bridge – Twilight – bring gear'_

Shikamaru sighed, and created a clone and send him home instead. It was a poor substitute for his family, but there was no such thing as refusal when it came to Tenzou. Then, he made his way out of the dimly lit streets. There were numerous bridges in Konoha, not to mention the land of Fire. But his teacher had only mentioned yesterday that he wanted to test the new training grounds, so Shikamaru figured that he would have to meet his sensei on the bridge closest to that place.

Luckily he still had some of his ANBU gear sealed away in his tattoo from when he created the shadow clone, and as soon as he was out of the city walls, he found a tree to hide and changed his outfit, creating a mask to finish it. Then, he worked his way along the narrow trail that led him to training ground 34, leaves sliding across his bare forearms like wet tongues.

And indeed, there was a small, wooden bridge that seemed rather new, and waiting there was none other than his ANBU teacher. The single lantern the man was carrying created shadows that made the cat mask look like it was possessed by the Nekomata herself.

"Took your sweet time, student of mine." Tenzou sing-songed when they met face-to-face. "What do you think of my handiwork?" He motioned to the bridge they were standing on.

"It could use a paintjob." Shikamaru said honestly, and Tenzou looked slightly taken aback, though Shikamaru figured that the man faked that as well. "But since when do you work without the mask?"

Tenzou sighed, tapping the side of his own mask. "I'm substituting and babysitting. Apparently _someone_ suggested to the Hokage that we should hunt for Akatsuki in small groups, and now team seven is unstoppable."

Shikamaru would have raised his eyebrow if he hadn't been wearing a mask or if the bridge wasn't so sparsely lit. "And that is your problem, how?"

"Kakashi has obligations elsewhere." Tenzou shrugged, explaining rather annoyed. "And then Danzou send his _dog_ along, so the Hokage send her cat to even the score."

Then, all conversation stopped as they felt someone approach, and Tenzou removed his mask. Shikamaru wanted to do the same, but something about the situation told him not to. Someone was walking towards them, and he had no doubt about the man's identity.

Shikamaru wanted to say something, but his teacher raised his hand to silence him. They shared a look, and then Shikamaru stepped back in the shadows, securing his cloak and his mask were perfectly in place. After all, you never knew exactly how good the legendary copy cat was at picking up hints.

Kakashi took his sweet time to come closer to them, not in the least bothered that they had been waiting for him. "Nice meeting you here, Tenzou. Long time no see?"

Shikamaru was not in the least surprised that the two knew each other.

"Kakashi, thank you for coming on such a short notice." His teacher said, acknowledging Kakashi's presence. "I hope I didn't mess with any of your plans?"

"Oh, my genin team doesn't mind waiting for me. A few more days than usual won't kill them." Kakashi said, his only visible eye curved up in a smile. Shikamaru sweat dropped. "Besides, it's nice to see you again sometimes between your busy schedule, Tenzou. Still sticking with ANBU I see?"

Tenzou nodded curtly, not commenting. "Anyway, I'm still on duty, and that's why I called you here."

Kakashi nodded and then gestured towards Shikamaru, "And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

Shikamaru kept quiet, and Kakashi didn't seem to expect an answer.

Tenzou gave him a wry smirk, "Patience Kakashi, wasn't that what you taught me? You will find out soon." He said teasingly and started to walk away, motioning both of them to follow him "He is the favor you owe me. Now follow me."

Kakashi didn't blink, nor hurried to catch up with his former colleague. "Oh joy." He murmured lazily, and flipped his book open once again. Shikamaru watched the display in mild interest, not exactly looking forward to his punishment.

Sadly, he already had a faint idea of what the shocking discovery he and Kakashi were about to make.

Shikamaru crossed his arms behind his head and looked at the sky, trailing behind his sensei. The weather was cloudy and he dearly hoped that it would rain. He liked rain but he _loved_ storms. Storms made him feel alive, made the clouds dance in the sky and lit it up with the lightning.

* * *

I know, short chapter. I intended to go further, but then I suddenly typed up the such an nice ending that I was like; why not? So next chapter you will get to see more. Can anybody guess what Kakashi and Tenzou are up to? Probably, after all, the hints are just extremely obvious. I bet that at least half of my reviewers will get it right. If I'm wrong, I'll give you an omake, okay? Deal. Hinata and the teahouse. Yeah, did you like it? She rather deceptive, isn't she? Well, I certainly enjoyed writing that conversation. Also, the teahouse I sketched is my own imaginative one; it's a mix of a traditional Japanese teahouse, and a western tearoom. I love the culture clash. Oh, and Sai. You'll hear more from him, that's for sure.

Also; hypocrite, thy name is Shikamaru. Really, I snickered while writing some of his sentences. You probably won't. I'm weird, okay, but I come up with this shit so I get to be weird. Yay!

**Question**

Now, if you are going to review, aside from your own input, I ask you to answer one question; what do you think of my Tenzou? I know I took a lot of liberties in this stories, but as I explained to one of my reviewers. I'm trying to give him a character; stern, strict teacher, laid back friend. He doesn't really get much character development in the series, but it he is portrayed as a laid back team person, who said himself that he 'isn't like Kakashi' as a teacher, which I translate into a strict teacher. There; the foundation of his character in Its. But what do you think? Do you like him, in this story?

**Next chapter**

_Kakashi will wish he never owed Tenzou that favor, while said man wants to shoot his former colleague's team. Shikamaru get's busy, time flies and another unexpected visitor will make their entrance._

I love writing these things, they say so much while saying nothing at all!

**Also;**

Thank you for the summaries! Though I would like to receive a few more so I can create a poll, so if you think; _"Hey, I can write two sentences!"_ Then go back to the last chapter for the instructions and send your summary to me.


	12. Lengthening Shadows

_I know that a good two months has passed, but trust me, a lot has happened as well. I went to America, France, Germany during July, and then moved out of my parents house the 15th of August. Not to mention I've been working my ass off at my job in order to finance everything in the meantime. But here it is, the 12th chapter._

_Still, this chapter is unbeta'd. Deal with it. I might find another beta. Somehow…._

_Also; you guys suck at reading hints. No offence but, **really**, why did nobody see this coming? Nevertheless, enjoy. Also, omake time._

* * *

_**Chapter 12; Lengthening Shadows**_

* * *

_Keep those brown eyes wide open, for this moment we own for now.  
And everything we gonna do, we do it. See the black clouds fall out of fear  
Feel it rise up in perfect darkness. Perfect darkness is all I can see._

* * *

The twilight had faded into darkness and the air felt heavy, promising a spectacle and giving Shikamaru an exhilarating feeling. The dark thunderclouds loomed above them, waiting patiently for their moment to strike.

Shikamaru couldn't tear his eyes from the spectacle above him, but his ears were solely focused on the conversation the two men walking in front of him were having. "It seems like tonight we'll have a thunderstorm." Kakashi commented casually. "I hope that this is not messing up your plans." He added, making no effort to sound like he actually meant it.

"On the contrary." His teacher answered, a slight victory in his voice. "His element is lightning, and since you are the expert…"

The last part of that sentence tore Shikamaru's eyes right off the sky, straight to the back off Tenzou's head. _'No'_ he thought, letting the puzzle pieces fall into place. _'Sensei, seriously? This is more than punishment…'_

"Correction, was the expert. My student took that title from me some time ago." Kakashi corrected in a matter-of-factly tone.

Tenzou snorted in turn. "You once were the best, and you have become even better since. I'm sure you can teach my dear student."

"You student?" Kakashi exclaimed with fake surprise. "I thought you didn't like teaching. I remember you swearing never to take an apprentice. And a lot of swearing involving that vow."

Tenzou sighed. "The Hokage is such a wonderful woman, if you catch my drift." Kakashi giggled perversively. "not in that way, pervert."

"Okay then, if you say so." Kakashi said, winking. Tenzou sighed, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'old hentai'. If Kakashi had heard him he didn't show it, instead he dropped his carefree demeanor and his visage grew serious. "I'll teach him, but on two conditions."

"Allright, we don't have a choice," Tenzou said, finally halting his steps. The two of them turned to Shikamaru, and his teacher pointed at him. "and by that I mean he doesn't have a choice."

A small chuckle broke through Kakashi's serious attitude. "Evil as ever, I see."

"Just being a good teacher." Tenzou offered as an explanation, though making no effort in sounding even vaguely apologetic.

Kakashi then turned to the boy in front of him. "Well, my poor, soon-to-be student. First; do exactly as I say. No exceptions. Second;" he paused, and then spoke a bit more harshly. "I won't teach a faceless person. Take of your mask, cloak, and tell me who you are."

Shikamaru tried not to visibly show his thoughts at that meaningful statement. Kakashi wasn't just asking him to show his face, he was stating that he wouldn't train, and most likely not associate with, ANBU. He was asking – no, demanding – him to break ANBU regulations, in return for strength. A thousand reasons, actions and reactions crossed his mind. Instead Shikamaru and Tenzou shared a look, and his teacher nodded in agreement.

Swallowing the urge to gulp, The mask and the cloak came off in one smooth motion, leaving him feeling somewhat nude. Ignoring the feeling, he faced Kakashi head on, forcing a lazy smile. "The name is Nara Shikamaru, in case you already forgot."

"I must say, I hoped for a cute girl, but on second thought." Kakashi said after a moment, turning to his teacher, asking almost incredulously. "How the hell did you manage to get him in ANBU? I remember him faking sleep in the middle of the Sound/Sand invasion. He couldn't have joined out of love for his home country." He added with a somewhat sarcastic edge in his voice.

"As I said before, the Hokage is such a wonderful lady." Tenzou responded, rather a reason for not supplying information then for Shikamaru's membership. "And no, that does not involve a threesome." He added when Kakashi's perverted giggle made a short comeback.

"It would have worked for me." Kakashi muttered under his breath, before turning back to Shikamaru, who just watched the exchange with little interest. "So exactly how long have you been sneaking underneath our eyes?"

"Long enough to know the workings." He supplied passively, noting the distinctive narrowing in Kakashi's eyes. Not taking his mind's eye of his supposed new teacher, he turned to his previous one. "Am I now allowed to be indulged into your plot, oh evil one?"

"Oh, yes, my dear student, I almost forgot." His teacher replied in fashion, never missing a beat. "As you've probably already deduced, Kakashi will teach you elemental manipulation, which will take even _you_ quite some time to master."

Shikamaru groaned, already feeling bothered.

"Also, did I mention that you still have to do your normal missions?" His teacher added with a smile that could possibly belong to Orochimaru. "Now, I will be on my way, I have a mission of my own to accomplish." And without as much of a proper goodbye, Tenzou turned around an vanished into the air.

"Have fun with my sweethearts!" Kakashi yelled his parting words never the less at an absent Tenzou. "Don't forget to feed them when their eyes turn red! They especially like sound nin!"

When he was done with his little parade, he turned back to his new student, leveling Shikamaru with his gaze. Shikamaru replied with a raised eyebrow. "Now, Shikamaru. I can't say that I never imagined that you would end up in ANBU, but I never expected you to join them so young." He said with a fair share of judgment lacing his words. "I hope you know what you are in for."

But Shikamaru didn't let it get him. "I've had my fair share of ANBU missions over the years, I am well aware of the dynamics." He said trying not to sound too passively-aggressive.

"Good!" Kakashi smiled, but didn't seem to believe him for a bit. "Now, let's do this."

And with those words, he led Shikamaru deeper into the woods. "I will start with explaining the basics. Tenzou already knew your affinity, so that saves us some trouble. So I will now waste some time with explaining what lightning manipulation actually contains."

"**(1)**Nature Transformation is an advanced form of chakra control and a technique that is pivotal for the manipulation chakra and the creation of new jutsu." Kakashi explained to him. "While Shape Transformation changes the shape and movement of chakra, elemental nature transformation changes the actual nature of the chakra, altering its properties and characteristics. It is notable that few shinobi can use both shape manipulation and nature manipulation."

"Notable as in, all of your students?" Shikamaru interrupted, knowing the tales of Sakura's legendary earthquakes, the myths about Sasuke's unparalleled blue flames and flashes and the frightened whispers about Naruto's storms. Kakashi stopped momentarily, taking in the meaning of Shikamaru's words.

"Well, it takes an extremely skilled teacher to teach Elemental manipulation, so it's only natural that all my students are exceptionally skilled in their element." He boasted, smiling all the way.

"Sure." Shikamaru said, sarcasm lacing his voice.

If Kakashi would have noticed, he didn't mind. "The lightning release area of elemental nature manipulation are techniques that allow the user to generate lightning by increasing the high frequency vibrations of their chakra, allowing for piercing damage and fast movement." Kakashi said. "So that is the first thing that you are going to do; learn how to increase the high frequency vibrations."

Shikamaru nodded, waiting for Kakashi to explain himself further, but there came no further explanation. "So, how am I supposed to do that?"

"That is where your brain comes in, Nara." Shikamaru wondered if Tenzou had borrowed his teaching methods from Kakashi. "Asuma has been bragging way too much about you. It is time for you to live up those expectations and show _me_ how to do it."

Shikamaru swore vengeance against his teacher, but outwardly only nodded. He somehow didn't feel at ease with Kakashi. There was something about the way he wouldn't look him in the eyes, but keep them focused on his mask that Shikamaru found unsettling. He didn't seem surprised, more disappointed and disgusted, though his jokingly demeanor did nothing but confirm Shikamaru's assumptions.

He mentally noted not to turn his back to the man, and kept watching him in the corner of his eyes while he let his mind wreck over the facts, and over what his new sensei had told him. It couldn't be that hard, right…?

* * *

It turned out that, indeed, it was pretty hard. Three day's worth of researching, experimenting and improvising had brought Shikamaru nothing but failure and sleepless nights spend in that forest, his mind could grasp the concept of it, but his body failed to created the required amount of statics. He'd tried nearly everything, from meditating and willing his chakra to vibrate to channeling his chakra through electric wires. His clone had long since dissolved and Shikamaru figured that maybe going home and taking a good night's sleep would be a good idea. Kakashi had been present not even half of the time, yet he hadn't allowed him to go home so far.

"I'm taking a short break." Shikamaru decided, and then turned to his teacher. "With your permission of course." He added as an afterthought.

Quite contrary to what Tenzou would have done, Kakashi just waved him as a sign that that was alright, and continued to read his smut. There were no rules or appointments, just like his new teacher had given him little more help than the creptic hint; "It's a feeling."

But he was tired, spend en frustrated so he didn't mind the man and simply snuck his way out of the forest, homebound. By the time he had changed and dropped off his gear in his room in the HQ, it was already 6 O'clock when he opened the familiar door and entered the dining room.

To his surprise, both his parents were sitting at the table, eating a rice based meal in silence. They both seemed just as surprised to see him standing in the threshold.

"Shikamaru?" His mother said, seemingly incredibly relieved. "Wait, you must be starved. I'll get you a plate. Sit down." Before Shikamaru could make any protest, she vanished into the kitchen. With a sigh Shikamaru surrendered, and sat down at his usual spot.

"What did I say about leaving a note, son?" His father said when he sat down, his eyes not leaving his food while he ate it. "You went to bed at night and vanished without a trace the next morning. You nearly gave your mother a heart attack."

"Sorry, but there was an emergency." Shikamaru lied, glad that his father had unknowingly supplied him a backup plan.

His father opened his mouth to interject something, but stopped himself before the actual words came out. Instead he shook his head and sighed. "There is always an emergency according to you. Inoichi told me you have been spending less and less time with Chouji and Ino, despite your promises to make up for the lost time."

Shikamaru looked at his father with narrowed eyes, consciously keeping the defending tone out of his voice. "I've been terribly busy these last few weeks."

"No, you haven't been 'busy' these 'last few weeks'. You've been distancing yourself from everybody around you for the three years." His father said accusingly, and Shikamaru unconsciously held his breath. "Don't you think I, as your father, wouldn't see that?"

In the back of his mind a voice said that in the very least he'd hoped he wouldn't. Instead Shikamaru answered without any hint of emotion in his voice; "It is true that since I've become a Chuunin, I've had less time for my private life. It is reasonable."

"Of course it is reasonable for you to spend a bit more time on missions. But I've been a Chuunin myself, and so are your friends right now. And I can tell you, the time you spend on missions is _abnormal_."

The last word stung, but Shikamaru ignored it. "I'm sorry father. But I don't feel like you can judge me on that matter, considering your own track record." He replied with a hint of spite, and he knew that that would be the end of this conversation. It was the reason that his mother stopped setting the table for three and the reason why Shikamaru's early memories of his father smelled like sake; his father was an important man, but also one that used his function as an excuse to stay away from home late. It was something each of them knew, but would never address.

He deferred his attention to his mother, who just happened to enter the room with a plate full of rice and teriyaki, looking at them strangely, obviously aware of the tension between them. Shikamaru smiled, and thanked his mother for the food.

Then, the three of them sat down and resumed their dinner, though the silence was anything but comfortable. The tension made Shikamaru scoot back and forth on his chair during the entire meal, but he never said a word. When they were finished, his father just got up and left, leaving the two of them to do the dishes. His mother sighed. "Go and wash yourself. You've obviously had a hard time. I'll take care of everything." She almost sounded defeated.

"Are you sure?" Shikamaru said.

"It's okay." She said, waving him off. "Just sleep tight and don't leave to early this morning." After that she gave him an awkward pat on his shoulder, hissing slightly when a static shock passed between the two of them.

"Stupid static electricity." She muttered, as she gathered the plates and brought them to the kitchen, not noticing how her son had frozen in sudden realization. With a sudden bold of energy and adrenaline that came with his revelation, he raced up the stairs, created a clone and bolted out of the window, towards Kakashi's training spot, where said man found him the next day, meditating.

"So I see you've figured it out." The man commented, and Shikamaru took pleasure in the hint of surprise in Kakashi's voice.

"I was focusing on the problem. If you focus on the problem, you can't see the solution. It was so simple." Shikamaru laughed, and looked the man in the eyes. He seemed confused.

"Oh?" Kakashi thought, and motioned Shikamaru to show him what he'd done.

He got up, spread his legs so he stood in a solid stance and then proceeded to rub his hand against the other. "It's so easy. What is a vibration?" He said, looking at Kakashi. "It's temperature. The more a molecule vibrates, the warmer it is. So all I have to do, is rub my hands together and focus my chakra through them."

"And then, when the vibration is high enough-" Shikamaru said, and in one swift motion he moved his hands away from away from each other diagonally. As he moved them, a small ray of electricity shot from his lower hand to his upper hand, leaving a small red burn mark behind and plastered a smile on Shikamaru's face. "You get static electricity."

Kakashi looked at him as if he'd seen a ghost. "Again."

Shikamaru preformed his little technique again, and this time the ray was even bigger.

Kakashi's sharingan analyzed him as he had him performing the technique over and over again. "Okay, you pass." He said, smiling mirthfully. "I guess Asuma was right. You've successfully created a new way to learn Raiton, and by far the easiest I've ever come across."

Shikamaru smiled too, though a more exhausted one, but before he could say something Kakashi continued; "But!" He said, and Shikamaru repressed the urge to groan. "You can't keep doing that every time you perform a jutsu. So, next assignment; create the vibrations with your mind. Shouldn't be too hard now you know how the lightning feels."

Shikamaru didn't complain, merely nodded. He now understood Kakashi's earlier advise. Under the skin of his hands he could imagine the feeling of that energy that had been released; it was unique and strangely pleasant, despite the distinct pain that followed as the ray hit the receiving hand. But those first degree burns were a small prize for his success.

With that exhilarating feeling in the back of his mind, Shikamaru focused once again on his task, that would take him many more days to complete.

* * *

This wasn't the first time that Tsunade send Shikamaru to work with the Konoha Cryptanalysis Squad. Officially it was to provide Shikamaru an excuse for his absences and secrecy, while still being useful for the city. In reality, the latter part seemed to be the most important part. Shikamaru didn't particularly mind; after all the tasks were usually preformed sitting and he was good at that. Especially considering the fact that since his elemental training had begun five weeks ago, it felt like he'd been living one big déjà-vu. It was like his early days in ANBU all over again, only then under a teacher who required you to keep looking underneath the underneath. Needless to say, it was all very tiresome.

"I think that we could use a break. I mean, this scroll is due to 6 o'clock, a-and since we still have this much time at our hands, we might as well, you know, take.. a break?" his mentor in code breaking ended, nervously.

Shiho was… different, to say the least, from most other women he knew. She was intelligent, yes, but a lot less temperamental. She was a kunoichi, yes, but definitely not like most he was familiar with.

"Of course." He said, giving the scroll one last look. She was in charge anyway, and even if it was obvious that she did this for him, she seemed to look the most joyful of the two of them.

"Where do you want to go?" Shiho said happily, then added nervously; "that is, if you want to go, out, of course."

"Sure" Shikamaru said, noting the considerate redness in her cheeks. Shiho was always somewhat nervous around him. She dropped slightly when they were working professionally, but at times like these her nervousness returned tenfold.

"So." Shiho's face brightened considerably as she quickly got her back and lead them out of their little office. "Where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere" Shikamaru said. "I don't really mind."

"Neither do I." Shiho replied, looking around and fidgeting somewhat with her keys as she locked the door.

Shikamaru was about to reply that she could pick, but stopped himself. This was fruitless; this discussion would endlessly continue like this until their lunch break was over. It seemed they were both used at letting the other take the lead. Now, Shikamaru was no stranger at leading a mission, but in outings with women, said girl usually decided the course.

Maybe it was because he was surrounded by particularly strong women, even strong for kunoichi means. It was normal to him, but not normal in general.

It was considered normal for a guy to take the lead, right? Shikamaru led the paradox roll around in his mind a few times while he led Shiho through the streets soundlessly. Normal was good, one glance to his left provided that Shiho was, indeed, a pretty ordinary girl. Not too pretty, not too ugly, yet clever. She smiled back to him somewhat shyly, yet not without joy. She was his age too.

She was like a message from the gods, giving him what he'd always claimed to want. It was a wakeup call, so to say.

"Are you alright, Shikamaru?" Shiho inquired politely, gently even.

Shikamaru nodded, and Shiho didn't ask any more. It was a nice silence, between the two of them. And Shiho was a nice girl.

He led her to Ichiraku ramen, of all places, because he couldn't think of a place that was less romantic than that. From that day forward he was careful to politely refuse her lunch proposals. His mother could use some extra company during lunch hours anyway.

* * *

"Again" Kakashi repeated monotonously from the corner where he is lazily reading his book. Shikamaru is sure that he didn't do this in order to motivate Shikamaru, rather than to point out the fact that he failed.

"Again."

Creating lightning with just his mind was hard, especially since Kakashi provided so little help, but he'd gotten that down by now.

"Again."

However, controlling it is a lot harder. It was like learning to throw and aim kunais all over again, only this time it is not your stance that requires your attention, but your chakra vibration balance. Basically, it's keeping the lightning in your hand in the same wavelength.

"Again."

Well, not the exact same, because that would be quite impossible, but enough that it doesn't suddenly disappear. Or worse.

"Again." Kakashi said, moving a little bit to his right. "And this time, try not to aim for me."

Keeping it from flying suddenly into a random direction, like Kakashi's. "Sorry about that."

And then there is the aiming itself… No wonder most Raiton techniques allow the user to stay in touch with the lightning itself. Keeping it controlled while he is touching it is one thing, and Shikamaru wasn't exactly looking forward to the moment Kakashi decided that lightning bowling is definitely a good excuse for training.

By the time Shikamaru got it down right, rain had given room for the sunny, cloudless skies of July.

* * *

Sai dropped in now and then, mostly because he has been infected by Naruto's ever shining conviction, but probably as well to annoy Shikamaru. This was the second reason why Shikamaru hated it when team 7 is in town and decides to visit their 'true' sensei.

Because, though it could be considered rather heartwarming to see that Kakashi's babies really missed their daddy, the ways they showed their love were rather bad for Shikamaru's life expectancy.

Or for that of the forest wildlife, for that matter.

So, while the reunited team 7 was too busy with blowing up the once beautiful forest scenery, Sai and Shikamaru 'talked'.

"Naruto is such an interesting person." Sai says more often with every visit, and Shikamaru could see the admiration in his eyes. It didn't surprise him that Sai felt attracted to Naruto's natural leadership, after all, he'd been taught to follow mindlessly, which is what Naruto tends to inspire.

"He is dense though, he will never be Hokage, no matter how strong he is." Sai recovered, his face back to his normal emotionless version.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "And who would be a great Hokage according to your expertise, faceless?" Never mind that Shikmaru is the one masked here, not Sai. "You?"

"Oh no, not me." Sai says honestly, not getting the jibe. "But Danzou would make a great leader."

Shikamaru snorted, though he'd expected the answer. "The day that happens I will personally exile myself from Konoha."

"Then you'd better make your reservations already." Sai replied with the same fake smile."That pretty sand princess might let you into her home, and with some luck, into her bedroom. After all, you have been seeing her a lot lately, haven't you?"

So maybe Sai did get that jibe, and this was revenge. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed; despite the fact that they were both ANBU, this was not something Sai was supposed to know. "You would do well not to talk about a woman like that in her presence, or didn't Sakura teach you that already?" He sneered, then finished coldly; "And which one do you mean? After all, Suna has many royally beautiful girls."

Sai shrugged his diversion off. "Certainly not the redhead, since he is more interested in a clan feud it seems. A certain _booby trap_, if you ask me."

"Gaara is a good friend of Naruto's." Shikamaru stated, letting the killer intent leak out slightly. It was not what he'd wanted to say, because he'd rather have a nice interrogation session with Sai right now in order to find out whether it was Danzou or Sai himself that was keeping tabs on him. (Honestly, he didn't know what was worse; having somebody influential like that watch him, or have Sai act that out of his character.) But this, was the only thing that might just seem to hit Sai where it counts.

"And good friends are honest with each other, right?" Sai countered, and Shikamaru bit his tongue. They'd never get along, no matter how much Naruto would change him.

"Your still new to this world of social bonds, Sai, so as someone with a lot of experience, allow me to teach you something."Shikamaru said, as if talking to a child, phrasing each word carefully and slowly.

Sai nodded, seemingly eager to learn.

Then Shikamaru lunged forward, wrapped his hand around Sai's throat and squeezed like it was a stress bal. "They don't like it when you stick your nose into their business." He said falsely sweet, squeezing till Sai turned another shade of red to empathize his point. "They might want to break thing, things more valuable than just your friendship."

They held each other's gazes for a little while longer. Maybe it was Shikamaru's own desires that clouded his judgment, but he could swear Sai looked somewhat uncomfortable. Then, he released his colleague, and watched him passively as he fell to the ground, coughing.

"I don't know what you're up to, and frankly I don't want to know." He added, feeling not the slightest bit of remorse as he watched the man recover. "But stay out of my way, or next time I might not let you go so easily."

Indifferent to the state his colleague was in, Shikamaru walked away. When he tried to disguise himself once again, he realized that he'd been wearing his mask the whole time**.(2)**

* * *

"Raiton: Gian!" Shikamaru exclaimed after finishing the last handseal, and emitted lightning in the shape of a spear from his mouth, aiming to split a tree in two.

"Nice try, but your lightning should be able to kill your enemy on its own, not by the fire that is caused by it." Kakashi commented, though he'd laid down his book in order to watch his pupil perform a B-rank Raiton Jutsu after just 11 weeks of training. It failed, because the tree was rather set aflame then split, but he'd been making process.

Shikamaru wasted no time on witty comebacks and casted a Kagemane no Jutsu. Within seconds his shadow connected with the fire's own, and as he focused the shadow to shrink, so did the flames until there was no more risk of causing a wildfire. He was painfully aware of Kakashi's eyes on him, but he allowed the man to see his hidden strength, hinting at more.

When he was finished, his new teacher allowed himself a single statement. "So the Nara clan hides more than a few deer in those shadows of yours." He deducted falsely.

"Of course." Shikamaru lied. "After all, we are one of the original clans that calmed the fires back in the founding days of Konoha."

"Ah, so Tenzou has convinced you of his little theory." Kakashi said with a smile on his face.

"Theory?" Shikamaru couldn't help but ask. "Is it not true then?"

"It is simply not proven." Kakashi said, breaking Shikamaru's vision of history."And it will never be with the current political propaganda." He muttered darkly afterwards.

Shikamaru thought about it for a second before concluding that history, like all other things, wasn't something set in stone. Only the past was. **(3)**

"Then what is your little theory, _Sensei_?" He said skeptically. "Adam and Eve?"

"I assure you that Tenzou is much more educated in this matter then I am." Kakashi countered effortlessly. "Considering his _roots_, and all."

Shikamaru then realized that, despite the obvious pun, he didn't know anything about his teacher. For all his abilities he could be a descendant of the first Hokage. He'd ask him, Shikamaru resolved, the next time he'd see him.

Now was not the time to think about that; it was time to split that tree. And with that thought Shikamaru's hands formed the snake seal, and released; "Raiton: Gian!"

* * *

Ino was not a lazy person, a very nosy one, but most certainly not lazy. She would bent over backwards find out what she wanted to know. And it was not below her to drag others with her in the process.

This time, her victim was willing though. Chouji agreed that Shikamaru had been spending less and less time with them, knew things he wasn't supposed to know and sometimes acted just plain out of character. If they had been normal civilian children, they might would've just let it slide, blaming it on hormones or a crush, but they weren't. As a ninja, you must know your enemies, but knowing your allies is even more important.

"Hey Shikamaru, wanna come with us?" Chouji yelled at his approaching friend. "We're going to Ichiraku today! Asuma-sensei is paying!"

"I'm afraid I can't make it today." Shikamaru said, not even looking at them or halting to greet them. "Can I give you a rain check?"

Then he was gone. Chouji and Ino tried to pick up any trace that they could follow, but found out they couldn't find anything that could possibly connect them to their wayward friend. Frustrated, Ino kicked a rock into oblivion. She would've done more if she hadn't felt the comforting hand on her shoulder. Meeting Chouji's eyes, she sighed.

"Ramen?" He said, almost apologetic, and she nodded. When the two of them left, she wondered if this was how it was going to be from now on; just the two of them.

* * *

Konoha might officially bare the name of city hidden within the leaves, yet it had quite a few other names. Though not all of them were positive, there was also one that Shikamaru particularly liked; Evergreen City.

And it was true; Konoha was a sight to behold during all seasons. Though deciduous trees colored red and brown during autumn and shed their leafs before the first breezes of winter wind, there were still more than enough Needle-leafed trees that kept Konoha properly hidden within the green. Even in these late august days, when the radiant sunset was taking away the life and color of his ever changing world, the Konoha greens remained constant. Conserving it's beauty, it's traditions and its secrets, keeping it all in and protecting it.

As Shikamaru channeled his lightning time and again through his various weaponry, he could enjoy it. It was peaceful, and it helped him regain his calm when the high voltage made him loose it. These past three months had been taking a toll on him; Elemental training took most years, yet Kakashi had successfully taught him the basics in little over 14 weeks, and had left him to figure out the rest himself nearly three weeks ago.

As different shade of lightning shot from sword, and with a deafening crack the stone split in two with only the slightest touch of his blade. With a single swipe to his left, he leveled a tree. Watching the darkening leaves fall alongside the big tree, Shikamaru felt satisfied, finally.

A summer had nearly passed, but that was a small price to pay.

* * *

It was midnight when Shikamaru's subconscious forced himself out of the dark recesses of his sleeping mind. Waking up without giving away any physical sign, Shikamaru scanned his direct environment for unwanted guests. When he found one, his eyes flew open in disbelief, for it could be anybody but her! Sitting casually on his windowpane, she brought her finger to her lips, telling him to keep quiet with her hands.

Shikamaru couldn't believe his very own eyes. "Temari!" he hissed incredulously "What are you doing here?"

"Business, of the worst kind." Her eyes spoke of mysteries and adventures, sparkling in the faint light of the moon. "Unfinished business."

* * *

_**End of Chapter 12**_

* * *

**NOTES  
**

**(Title)** Lengthening Shadows has of course a double meaning and because there is more than enough foreshadowing in this chapter, I'll explain this one. Over time, shadows lengthen, so it implies the passage of time, which is basically what happens in this story. Also, Shikamaru develops a new skill, furthermore grows, like a shadow. Yay for symbolism. Now it's up to you to find the numerous others in the story.

**(1)**Yes, these parts were literally copied from Narutopedia, though slightly modified to make it fit into the story. Why copy? Because this is basically just here for informative purposes, and the actual paragraph is not an irreplaceable part of the storytelling. The information is literal, easy to understand and builds a foundation for my own theories in lightning-elemental training. So, for the lack of better alternative, Copy-paste it is. May you forgive my sins, for I do not feel remorse.

**(2)**Ohh, symbolism of doom. Yay, Shikamaru is losing humanity and Sai's gaining it. It's a fair exchange isn't it?

**(3)**You assumed it was true and so did Shikamaru. Thing is, history is just a way of describing the something, in this case the past. And just because something tells you everything went this way, that doesn't mean it did. Not to say that all your history books lie to you, but do realize that they are written from a certain perspective. History isn't about facts, it's about interpretations. (Like science for instance. Or math. We decided that 1+1=2, although with other theories 1+1=3 could be a logical answer. I use this concept in my story, and I guess that this is the message that I'm trying to teach you.)

* * *

**Omake **

Or; _'What could have possibly happened during Shikamaru's training village grounding'_

The sheer idiocy of the 'mission' spoke for itself. However, Team 7 had probably long lost their sanity, so their reaction to finding out about the rumor that the owner of Ichiraku's was secretly a ninja really shouldn't surprise him. He was pretty sure it had been Kakashi's fault. The man had been in ANBU once and was most likely the only one who would know 'the legend of the mask maker' and its assumed connection with the man they were trying to spy on today.

Apparently Sakura had roped Ino into joining their escapade, who'd asked Chouji to come along, and were now forcing him to join too. He assumed Kiba had joined for the sheer purpose of wreaking havoc and Hinata and Shino had merely followed him as a form of damage control.

And Shikamaru tried to decline when they'd ask him to join their mission, really he tried very hard, but when Sai volunteered to help he decided he might as well join and prove Tenzou-sensei, a firm believer of the theory, that it was not true.

"I'll help." He said, and he swore he could see the others look like he had just announced that he was going to assassinate the Hokage and grow a beard.

A few minutes later, the entire rookie nine and Sai were standing just a few blocks away from their objective. Shikamaru mused that with this number, it was more than likely they would fail. Epicly.

"Alright. We need a plan." Shikamaru offered a little bit more excited than his friends were used to, though it remained fairly impassive. "Our number will give us away. Sakura, did you three even have a plan in the first place?" He added, addressing the girl that seemed to eye him suspiciously. He figured that she didn't like the way he just took the leadership from them.

Said young woman shared a quick look with her best friends and then dropped her face in defeat, uttering a barely hearable "No."

"Right…" Shikamaru muttered not really surprised, though not pleased to notice that the entire group looked expectantly at him. He sighed. "Okay, so if he, theoretically was a ninja, and I'm not saying that he is, he should at least still have his reflexes, because that's just something you can't turn off on will." _'Easily'_ he added in his mind.

"So, we throw a kunai at him and see if he dodges." Sasuke said, bluntly. "If he does, he's a ninja. If he doesn't, he's not." Shikamaru waited one second for him to say he was kidding before he face palmed himself.

"But what if he doesn't? I don't want to go to prison for killing a citizen of Konoha!" Chouji interjected, looking at Sasuke as if he'd grown a second head.

Sasuke seemed to consider that for a moment, but before he could voice his solution, Naruto said; "We'll aim for his leg. That shouldn't kill him." He then shared a look with his teammates, and to Shikamaru's disappointment the two supposedly intelligent members of his team seemed to think this was a good idea.

Ino looked at him incuriously. "Naruto, that is bad for our good name!"

"We don't even have a good name" Sasuke chimed in.

Ino looked taken aback.

"Nevermind!" Shikamaru interjected before this silly mission cascaded into a street fight. "How about replacing the kunai with a simple ball. If he is a ninja, he'll automatically catch it. If he isn't… well at least he isn't hurt." _'too much'_

"Way the go, kitty!" Sai cheered falsely. "We have now successfully created a master plan to spy on a perfectly harmless man!"

"Shut up, faceless." Shikamaru said, referring to his mask.

"…He has a point." Chouji added, and Shikamaru shot him a glare that could be translated into something very similar to 'you backstabber!'. He put up his hands in defense. "It is not true that I implied you were wrong! It's a good strategy!" He added quickly, and Shikamaru decided that it was too troublesome to hold grudges.

Instead, he produced a simple ball, and passed it to Hinata, who looked at him helplessly. 'This is revenge, bitch.' He thought, but all he said was. "Your aim is the best, with the Byakugan."

"Oh hell no, Sharingan beats that every day of the –" Sasuke yelled imidiatly, but before he could finish his sentence Hinata had been properly motivated and had thrown the ball. In all her enthusiasm, she threw it with a little bit too much force and instead of hitting the man's upper left leg, it hit a bowl or ramen that was conveniently placed into the line of attack by their target himself.

When the ball hit the bowl, it fell of the counter. Shikamaru held his breath as he waited for the imminent sound of shattering porcelain.

But it never came. Teuchi Ichiraku had caught the bowl with ease with his one hand, and put it back on the counter.

The entire rookie nine watched in dumbfounded, as Sakura voiced their thoughts. "Did he just catch that bowl out of the experience of being a ramen cook or…"

Whatever the reason was, they wouldn't find out that day, because Teuchi easily located the ball that had nearly caused him the damage. "Which brat threw this!" The man yelled angrily, looking for his attacker. "Show yourself, or else!" He threatened, making quite a scene.

"New plan, I say we run. If Hinata suddenly goes missing, the man is a ninja." Shikamaru said, eyeing the man's increasing potential for violence, and for once everybody seemed unanimously in favor. A second later the nine of them all sped off in a different direction, and Shikamaru vowed to never, ever participate in one of these _missions_ again.

**End of the Omake.**

* * *

**Other notes:** I was slightly disappointed that nobody and really nobody saw Shikamaru's elemental training coming. Seriously guys, do you have any idea how much I've foreshadowed? (I think that now, in retrospect, most of you also see that it was obvious that this would happen. I mean, seriously? I even named him thunderstorm!) Also, I follow the manga plot line, and since Shikamaru is the main character here and we skip the Sasuke arc, the next event had to be elemental training. Okay, maybe I'm expecting too much. Anyway, I promised that oneshot, and I delivered it. For those who can't remember; in the chapter 'Blood and Bones' Tenzou mentions the theories about the mask maker. It had to come back and hunt you one day, right? Btw there is a pun in the last few lines of this omake that you won't get until the next chapter.

**Lightning element.** I suppose I should tell you why I choose to fuck anime and give Shikamaru Lightning instead of water. First of all, because the Anime stated that Shikamaru has water, not the manga, so it isn't official. Second of all personality wise lightning fits his character much more, and that is what should decide his element in my opinion. _(And for most characters it does; Sasuke and Kakashi, who's personality is based on sudden eruptions of emotions, have lightning. Itachi, who is calm, has water. Naruto is playfull but on the edge like wind._ _Shikamaru isn't like Itachi, he is smart, but he isn't the epitome of calmness. I'd give Chouji water_.) I would like to say that all the elemental lightning training was my own idea, though the jutsu Shikamaru is using is, ironically, Kazuku's.

_**Next Chapter;**_ _Temari and Shikamaru wreak havoc as they together as they try to accomplish Temari's quest. In the meantime, Shikamaru has a mission, and guess who he's stuck with? Trust me, he's not happy about it either. Also, Hinata makes her return in this second to last chapter of the arc._

**Btw, thanks for the reviews. They really motivated me to write this. Tell me what you think of the plot so far, and if this chapter did a good job at portraying the passage of time.  
**


	13. Small talk

**As it was Snow Patrol's 'A hundred million suns' that inspired me to write this story in the first place, in the same fashion is their latest album fueling my writing spirit today. I am sorry for the delay, which was as usual school related, but since things are starting to calm down somewhat now, I invested some time in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do (for you will surely love the next one... and hate the one after that, which is by far my favorite chapter… (evil plotting is so much more fun when your audience remains in the dark about it.))**

**Chapter 13: **_**Small talk**_

_/"Do you know what I like about Shougi?" Shikaku once said on a lazy summer afternoon, while they were playing shougi on the porch. It wasn't often that his father made time for him. Mostly it was just him and his mother, or if she was busy, Ino and Chouji. His father was an important man, or so his mother told him.(Although Shikamaru didn't understand whether or not that was a good thing, because his mother never sounded happy when she said that.) _

_Shikamaru, only 5 at the time, looked up, analyzing his father's words. "You always win?" He said after a thought._

"_No." Shikaku said, smiling at his son. "It is because shougi has a beginning, a middle and an you never know when you are in the middle of the game, because that depends on how abruptly the end game is going to come. Even if you have it all thought out, you could be two moves away from checkmate and not know."_

"_Sounds more like a reason to hate Shougi." Shikamaru concluded. In his mind, he didn't like the uncertainty; the end of the game meant the end of his father's company. And despite the fact that he loved his mother, he idolized his father a bit and wanted to impress him._

"_It's like life, in a way." Shikaku explained, moving his pawn. "You know there is a beginning, and you know there is an ending. However, few of us can say with certainty in which stage of life we are. Even if you have a strategy for life, it will never go exactly according to plan."_

_Shikamaru nodded, eagerly taking in his father's words of wisdom. "So you should improvise during the game, so you can extend the duration of the game as long as you want!"_

"_The goal of Shougi isn't prolonging the game, Shikamaru." His father said. "It is to win it, even if you have to end the game to do that."_

_Shikamaru let the words go through his mind a few times. As a young child, life seemed endless, even though he intellectually knew it wasn't. Ending it prematurely on purpose seemed wrong. But his father's encouraging eyes urged him to set the thought aside, and move his knight._

_He'd have to improvise his plan, it seemed._

_When not Shikamaru but Shikaku to his surprise lost, it was not him but his young son who took his king, and instead of knocking it over when he'd checkmated him, he lifted the piece slowly from the table, as if it were ascending to heaven._

_His father looked at him with strange eyes that day, emotions that Shikamaru could nowadays identify as a combination of wonder and… fear. After that first time he'd defeated his father, they'd started spending more time together. They played Shougi, they would go and feed the deer together, while his father told him tales about the knights of Shougi, who were too valuable to be sacrificed like the pawns yet too weak to lead the battle like the queens. Shikamaru drunk his father's every word like water, forgetting over time about impressing or surpassing the man that was his father./_

"Hi, Raiu-chan! Didn't expect to see you here tonight!" Tenzou welcomed Shikamaru. The bar was not a exactly the best establishment, but Shikamaru knew Tenzou preferred it since it was located deep underground, underneath and only accessible through, another civilian pub named Kenzo. **(1)**

It was without a doubt the only bar which one could attend in full ANBU attire and not get a single weird look. Which wasn't that strange because the bar was only known by ANBU or former ANBU, so people were more likely to get a some weird glances if they weren't dressed for the job, than if they weren't.

"Well, hadn't you promised me we'd talk about stuff over a drink last time we spoke properly?" Shikamaru answered to his red-faced teacher, who obviously had been sitting here for some time.

Said teacher motioned him to sit down next to him, seeming utterly comfortable wearing his mask in a manner that it covered only half his face, allowing him to drink. "When was that? Three, four months ago?" He commented as Shikamaru sat down.

"Time flies when you're having fun." Shikamaru said sarcastically, ordering a simple beer. The bartender didn't ask for his age, just his money, which was quite normal in bars like these; people figured that since he wore the attire of an ANBU, he was old enough to kill on a regular basis, so also old enough to drink. Tenzou was joyfully drowning bottles of sake, making no intention to stop him.

The man snorted, and took another cup of his comfort drinks. "Thank god it did. I take back all complaints I ever made about you; those three kids were hell incarnated." "No wonder Kakashi-sempai needed a break."

"Talking about a break! My last mission was a clusterfuck." Shikamaru complained before taking a sip, easing his mask up just enough to allow his lips to meet the glass. The bitter taste of the beverage eased his irritation from the last mission somewhat, and he let his muscles relax, enjoying the feeling.

"Ah, yes Tsunade informed me about it." Tenzou said, and Shikamaru could imagine the mirth dancing in his teacher's eyes.

"She did?" Shikamaru asked surprised. "Sure, some messed up stuff happened but I hadn't expected it to reach the great desk." Most missions of lesser importance were handled by ANBU themselves after all, and even if they felt the need to inform the hokage about it, she would rarely talk with somebody else about it.

"You sure left your impression on the officials, despite the fact that your report was a politically formulated piece of art." Tenzou said, putting his cup down.

Shikamaru smirked. "What can I say? That's my forte."

"But all official bullshit aside; what happened? I mean, how did a low B rank turn out to be something close to S rank?"His teacher asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice, leaning forward and nearly spilling some of his liquor in the process. " 'Cause if I understood correctly, it's a goddamn miracle the three of you came out alive."

"Not so much of a miracle, trust me." He answered dismissively. Damn, the beer was just starting to erase the leftovers of last mission, and now his teacher was demanding he'd bring them up again. Not bothering to keep the annoyance out of his voice, he replied: "What I think was a miracle is the fact that our intel department 'missed' the little fact that the library from which we were to retrieve the scrolls was in fact one of Orochimaru's main lairs. I mean, we walked straight into a snake's pit without a torch, or a clue of where we were. The only luck we had was that we didn't come there a week later, because otherwise we would've have to take it up against Orochimaru himself."

"I guess nobody expected that old snake to also have spread his network that wide, or at least not yet. I mean, where were you? Northern wave?"

"Yeah, North-east wave. But come on? I mean, the country has known decades of economical and social decline. Even I know a man like Orochimaru thrives in areas like those. They should have at least considered the possibility." His grip on the glass tightened somewhat at thinking back on the failings of the Konoha intelligence squad. "I mean, aren't they supposed to be 'intelligent?' Pun intended"

Tenzou ignored his last comment, though his lips twisted into a shallow smile. "They definitely should have at least considered it, but you know what? Hindsight is clear like that. If they had known that before hand, they would have never put poor Inu-taichou on the job. May he rest in peace though." He added the last part in a much softer tone, and Shikamaru almost expected to make the sign of a cross or offer a prayer to the kami, but he didn't and just took another sip from his cup.

"The moment that axe decapitated him was the moment I knew the mission had gone straight to hell." Shikamaru recounted that rather gruesome part of the mission. Though he couldn't really say that he was grieving for the man, it sure had fucked up the rest of the mission and that sure evoked some feelings within him. "As if that annoying faceless root on the team wasn't enough of a downer."

Tenzou let out a heartfelt laugh, as would any seasoned ANBU do at a comment like these. "That's root, Raiu. You can't live with them, and the council won't make us live without them." He said with the laughter in his tone. "Though I must admit that this particular example wasn't that bad."

Behind his mask, Shikamaru's eyes shot wide, and then narrowed dangerously, like his voice. "Not that bad? Sai is a fucking nightmare."

"Oh, it could have been far worse." His teacher replied, his voice sore with a grudge between root and ANBU that transcended generations. "I've worked a lot with him over the past few months, since root send him to keep an eye on ANBU and the village's greatest assets. Trust me, he's changed for the better. However, he's still brainwashed by root. He's not going to become like me or you anytime soon." He added, almost comically, but Shikamaru didn't find it very funny.

"Okay, so the guy knows how to shut his mouth when you're around. Well_, congratulations_." He spat out bitterly. "Trust me, the guy was a fucking nuisance during the mission."

Tenzou tsk'ed at his childish grudge and countered with that overly energetic voice he only got when the man was tipsy. "You say that now, but according to the report made by your third teammate, taka-san, you two worked together really well."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Come on, sensei? Do you think so low of me that I can't put my opinion aside for a mission?" He asked incredulously. " '_No hesitation. A mission is a mission. Finish the job.'_ Aren't those your words?" He cited, his voice a bit lower and his eyebrows scrunched together in order to imitate Tenzou.

"So you _really_ were only pretending to sleep during my lessons!" Tenzou replied cheerfully, waving away Shikamaru's words with his sanguine demeanor.

Shikamaru sighed, knowing he'd never get a straight answer. "That's called learning through assimilation." And took a sip from his drink, knowing he wasn't nearly inebriated enough to handle his teacher right now.

"Well, you sure did. Despite everything, you improvised after your captain died, took the lead and not only managed to keep both of your teammates alive, but also leave the dungeon relatively unharmed, with the mission objective." Tenzou said, suddenly a lot more seriously. "It seems my work here is done."

Shikamaru snorted. "What work? Last time you were going to teach me something you dumped me with an old colleague of yours, who happens to be a drag, I tell you." That, and the man seemed to have a grudge against ANBU for some reason that Shikamaru wouldn't ask until Tenzou was drunk enough that he wouldn't remember it the next day.

"Ah yes, Sempai has a few rather unflattering sides. They used to be worse though; he was a real bully back in the day." Tenzou commented, and despite his choice of words, the half covered face allowed Shikamaru to catch a glimpse of nostalgia. "But he's a strong shinobi and a good teacher; I also read in the report that you used an 'outstanding variety' of raiton jutsu." He added, and this time the smile was directed at his former pupil.

Though it was rather satisfying to gain such a blatant from of approval of his former teach, it also made him somewhat uncomfortable."I'm still working on it. I've reached a level in which it can be useful in battle, but I still feel like I have a lot of ground to cover." He explained awkwardly.

That seemed to perk his teachers interest. "You're working on something special?"

"Ah ah, It wouldn't be special if I told you all about it right now." Shikamaru teased.

"Ah, but you know I don't like surprises that much anyway." Tenzou said, setting his now empty cup down. "Doing this job for such a long time really took the joy out of that one for me. So tell me more~!" He all but sing-songed.

Shikamaru's left brow shot up to his hairline, and he took in his teachers flushed appearance. "You're getting drunk. I 'm not telling you something you're going to forget the next morning anyway." He concluded with a teasing smirk. "Why are you getting this drunk anyway?"

"To celebrate of course!" Tenzou exclaimed joyfully, and maybe a bit too loud, making Shikamaru realize that despite the fact that they were sitting in a table in an underground ANBU pub, didn't mean that they could just start acting like a fool.

"… who are you and what did you do to my teacher?" He asked his obviously tipsy teacher with another teasing smirk, even though it was completely hidden by the anonymity of his owl mask.

His teacher scowled, and made a mock attempt to hit Shikamaru, which Shikamaru didn't even bother to dodge. "Oh fuck off, I'm allowed to have a break every now and then."

Shikamaru doublted if getting this drunk, which was even for his teacher standards unusual, could be justified by 'taking a break'. Instead of showing his suspicions, he forced a lazy, playful tone. "Sure, so, tell me, what is your excuse to indulge your drinking problem?"

"Well, two things, really. First of all, Kakashi is finally going to take the three brats off my hands again!" Tenzou rejoiced, and Shikamaru resisted the urge to face-palm.

"If they were that terrible, couldn't you have, like, drilled it out of them? I know from personal experience that you are quite good at that." He replied incredulously, a few rather gruesome memories flashing before his eyes.

"Are you kidding me? Those three could kill in a second! Yes, I'm stealthier, have a lot more experience and probably a bit more brains and sanity than most of them, but if it would come down to it, the three of them could crush me." Tenzou said a lot more freely than he normally would. "Their teamwork is a piece of art, really. Beautiful, but only when they are not using it against me." He added with a hint of morbid fascination in his voice.

"Excuses, excuses." Shikamaru continued to taunt. "You're just getting rusty."

Sadly, it didn't work."For that comment, you get to buy me another drink." His teacher replied, never missing a beat.

"Sure, sure." Shikamaru waved away the fake hostility, and raised his hand towards the bartender momentairily, until the man's eyes met his and Shikamaru knew they'd be served their drinks in a few moments. "But enough about team 7, what was your other reason?" he continued to press.

"You of course!" The ANBU captain exclaimed a little bit too enthusiastically. "My little kitten is all grown up!"

Shikamaru, once again, resisted the urge to face-palm, but couldn't help rolling his eyes. "What are you talking about? I'm turning 17 in a few weeks, that's still a long way to go from 20." **(2)**

Tenzou suddenly reached forward, and laid his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder in a good-natured fashion. "Oh god, you know your brain has always been way ahead of your real age. Only now your skills have seemed to catch up with your brain as well, and that makes my work complete." He looked Shikamaru straight into the eyes, and throught the small holes in his mask met his eyes. "Yes, I consider you a job well done."

"Just because I got stronger, you're getting wasted? That's a poor excuse." Shikamaru responded playfully, but his posture remained stiff.

Tenzou shook his head, not yet retracting the hand which presence burned into Shikamaru's shoulder. "No Raiu-chan. You, my student, went into the devil's lair unprepared, had your captain murdered right in front of your eyes but instead of running away on your own, you took over command and led your company towards success, despite the fact that you had no reliable intel or back-up team. You overcame your personal feelings of mourning for your superior, the shock of the sudden change of situation and your personal vendetta with a root member."

Shikamaru resisted the urge to sputter, and sighed, feeling the need to put his teachers words into perspective. "Taka-san is in the hospital right now, you know that? And my captain is still dead."

"Yes he is, and she might not fully recover. However all things considered, it could have been a hell lot worse." Tenzou said, finally removing his hand from Shikamaru's shoulder and refilling his cup with the bottle of Sake that one of the waitresses had just brought. The masked was shoved upwards again, blocking Tenzou's line of vision and allowing Shikamaru to break eye contact, at last. "You showed some real leadership out there. And not for the first time either. I've read the reports on the Sand-Akatsuki impromptu mission. You took the lead from the very beginning. For once, accept my compliments. You did well Shikamaru. That doesn't mean that you still don't have a lot to learn, but you've accomplished things I often didn't even dare to dream you would accomplish."

"Thanks." Shikamaru answered awkwardly, an uneasy feeling swirling through his gut.

Maybe Tenzou felt this, maybe he didn't and just decided that another topic was a logical step in their conversation. "Once, years ago, you asked me if it would change you, and I told you it would **(3)." ** He paused, and Shikamaru nodded. "Now looking back on all your accomplishments, looking back on that little boy you were and the man sitting besides me today; do you still think that it is a change for the worse?"

Shikamaru took a second to think about it, then answered: "No, at least, not completely."

"Of course there are some aspects that I also rather wouldn't have seen changed in you. However, in that sense, you are no different from you forefathers, who saw their homes and lands being burned to the ground." Tenzou said, once again reverting to his storytelling mode. "I think they would have preferred to have lived out the rest of their lives on their little farms in peace, but they had to face the facts that they are part of something greater, and that the kosmos isn't going to bend to their will. They might not have wanted to become the first shinobi of their line, but they did anyway. The land that they rebuild was not what they had set out to protect in the first place, but it was home all the same. And the fruits of their efforts, their sacrifices; tentousands of people live peacefully in the same village today." Tenzou then took a sip of his drink, and Shikamaru drowned the rest of his beer, listening enthralled to his teacher's words.

"I've come to like you boy, despite our differences and your shortcomings, I've come to value your company. I like you enough to wish you'd be a peaceful Chuunin right now. However, you're not, and that's life. Despite the fact that our job isn't always morally correct or enjoyable, I can still say you've made me proud of what you've become." His teacher then stopped for a moment to meet his student's eyes, and held them for a while. "And I hope you will be proud of yourself, of what you have become too." He concluded, his eyes resting on Shikamaru for one last, meaningful second, and then reverting back to his drink.

"I will." Shikamaru blurted out, then corrected himself. "I mean, I am." A warm feeling rose in his chest.

"Then, with the same pride, accept this." Tenzou suddenly declared, going through his bag until he found it, and offered the material to Shikamaru. "You've deserved it." He said in a voice so certain that it almost made Shikamaru take it. Instead it crushed the warm feelings of paternal affection, and made his instincts, thoughts and emotions push himself backwards, away from the table, man and offending piece of clothing.

"You've got to be kidding me." He uttered out, feeling the edge of anger swirl in his gut. His eyes never even left the piece of cloth. "You're drunk, no seriously, this isn't even funny."

"I'm not. I might be somewhat tipsy, but I'm dead serious." Tenzou reassured him, and moved his hand even more in Shikamaru's direction, urging him to take the red scarf. "Come on, you're a captain in all but name. You led a squad the last few times, you've made the decisions of a leader, and even did the paperwork of one! Might as well get paid as one." He said cheerfully, but with a serious edge that set Shikamaru off.

"Never in my life!" He exclaimed, a little bit too fast and a little bit too loud, but straight from the heart. "I mean, I already have a pitiful excuse of a private life! I have absolutely no ambition to get even more responsibilities!"

"So that's a no then?" Tenzou said, his voice even, but still not lowering his hand."A pity, and I really thought you were mature enough to see that this choice is only a logical step forward. Just because I said you've improved, doesn't mean you're done now." He added with some disdain in his voice.

Shikamaru's nostrils flared, and his voice was sharp enough to cut through the scarf, table and floor when he spoke, defiantly. "If anything, then I decide the pace of my steps, I'm _mature_ enough to see what I can and can't handle." He hissed. "Why are you offering me this anyway? Isn't that the Captain Commander's job?"

Tenzou sighed, not in the least fazed by his student's hostile reaction. "Normally, yes. However, the dear man is out on a long-term mission, due to return in a week or two. I've got temporary command as the captain with the longest running time in ANBU." He explained, and finally lowered his hand. Instead of putting the scarf back into his bag, he let it fall on the table. It's utterly redness conflicting with everything in the shabby underground bar. "And in my opinion, we're short of just one captain."

"Then I wish you good luck with finding a replacement for him." Shikamaru sneered.

"I don't need luck. What I need is for you to see reason." His teacher countered without missing a beat. "But enough about it for tonight. I've been hanging around you long enough that you're not going to change your mind until you've seen the upsides of the scarf yourself. It's not that big of a step. Yes, you're going to become a bit more special than the rest. But you should really start to accept that about yourself; you're not normal, even if you like to pretend to be." He added, his eyes not meeting Shikamaru but never the less delivering his message with painful accuracy.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "You're not making any sense." And to Shikamaru, for once, he really wasn't.

Tenzou's eyes met Shikamaru's eyes briefly, and then regained the calm he'd had all along. "I am, and you know that. But let's stop talking about it. It's a lovely evening, and despite the fact that I would like to add your promotion to my list of celebration worthy events, two reasons are definitely enough for me to get wasted." He ended somewhat jovially, changing the subject.

"Whatever." Shikamaru said harshly, averting his eyes, knowing that they weren't done talking about this any time soon.

-O-

The next morning Shikamaru made his way into the sewers, following them until he could go even deeper, into the oldest part of the city; the underground maze.

At a certain point he felt a small gust of wind, and a particular known voice. "Took your sweet time." Temari said in a form of greeting. Shikamaru turned around, not really surprised, since this is where we were supposed to meet. "I love your outfit by the way, so original." She mocked, her hand pointing at his ANBU attire.

"Hello to you too." Shikamaru shrugged it off. "If anybody saw 'Shikamaru' here, they would find that strange. Now it's just another ANBU sneaking around in the city. Nothing special about that, since that is what the common people think is what we do all day."

"You guys are fucked up." Temari smiled, contradicting her words. "However, if it works for you, then it works for me." She added, and with those words she joined Shikamaru, and they started to walk again.

"So, I've did everything you told me when you sneaked up into my room this morning. Care to inform me of the rest of your plan, oh wise one?"

"No need to go into to much details, since I too have made all preparations for our little mission during your absence anyway. Anyway, what took you so long anyway? I send you a note before, and you never turned up." Shikamaru knew she was referring to the little note he'd received yesterday, containing nothing more than a time and the name of a restaurant, underneath which they were standing right now.

"I'm sorry your highness, but as you know, I am a busy man." He said mockingly. "Work, work, work."

"You? Busy? I still find it hard to envision it." She laughed, and Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "Hey, I didn't say it was a change for the worse!" Temari added, raising her hands in front of her in a defensive manner.

"I'm sorry, but business come before your little shemes." Shikamaru explained.

"sure, sure." Temari waved him off, obviously amused. "Let's not forget that you are willingly participating in the 'sheme' of mine." Temari added with some glee, and Shikamaru couldn't really argue with that. He figured he was already too involved in the matter not to finish it, both for his peace of mind as for _other reasons_.

Their footsteps echoed through the caves, but so did Temari's laughter. "Why are you so happy anyway?" Shikamaru noted.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She answered, meeting his eyes. "My little brother is finally getting some happiness, and even better, I'm –for once- able to help him achieve it. Though I would have never expected that girl to make such a drastic move. But then again, I've been wrong before." She admitted without losing a bit of pride.

"I might have talked to her." Shikamaru admitted silently over the sound of dripping water.

"You didn't…" Temari uttered out, her posture stiff and her eyes incredulous. "you did. And, did she listen to you?" She continued on a happier note.

"I'm trying to find that out through you, right now, since all you've done is giving me some instructions and telling me we're going to escort Hyuuga Hinata to the sand. So why won't you give me some more details…" Shikamaru countered playfully.

"Touché" Temari conceded, and started explaining. "As I told you, a few weeks ago my brother got that letter, saying that she couldn't go on like this. Trust me, when Gaara told me this I was ready to wring her pretty little neck, but guess what? It turns out she wasn't dumping him, but asking him to let her live with him."

"That seems indeed somewhat out of character. Then again, I've been wrong about her before." Shikamaru agreed, but didn't mention that indeed, he might just have been a deciding factor in this seemingly uncharacteristically boldness of the Hyuuga heiress.

"So, completely unromantically but in a fashion that only my brother can truly pull off, Gaara asked her to marry him." Temari continued. "And 3 weeks ago he got her reply, or rather, her confirmation."

"Marriage? Isn't that going a bit… fast?" Shikamaru asked, because really, that was even for traditional clans rather early.

Temari nodded. "My thoughts exactly, but it's their life, and knowing how dead serious both of them are about it, I'm letting it pass." She twirled her hair while saying that, a rather endearing smile on her lips. "Anyway, since her clan is rather conservative and would never, ever allow someone with the secrets of the byakugan to leave their compound, she couldn't exactly go to the elders and tell them 'the good news'. So instead we're getting her out of here."

"Ah, I see where this is going. Who knows?" He inquired, since it was vital for the mission.

"Her teammates, of course, since they'll be helping us." Temari said, counting them on her fingers. "Other than that? Kankurou of course, and Baki as well. I think she also informed her sister, but that's about it, I think." She finished, twirling her fingers through her hair, and making Shikamaru's eyes follow.

"Talking about siblings." He said after a short moment of silence and staring. "Your emotions seem quite a bit more balanced than the last time I saw you."

"I talked with Gaara." Temari admitted awkwardly. "Immediately after you left, actually. We, well, said some things to each other that should've been said a long time ago and, well, most of it is sorted out now. It's also how I found out he was dating Hinata, actually. How did you know anyway? Because you didn't seem at all surprised when I told you. Is this something you just figured out by looking at them, or what?" She looked him in the eyes with what Shikamaru identified as raw curiosity and admiration.

Shikamaru tried not to seem more than he was. "I'll be honest, I sensed that there was something different between them when we observed them during on the rooftop, remember?" He explained, and she nodded. Then he added. "But the truth is, I walked in on them in the hospital after I had visited you."

"OH… oh." Temari said, as realization dawned on her, then, she giggled. "Hihi."

"It was rather innocent, trust me." Shikamaru all but sputtered out.

"I'm sure it was. I mean, no offence, but they're 16." Temari said, controlling her giggles once more and waving away Shikamaru's embarrassment. "I mean, Gaara is intellectually mature, but socially? Not so much. I mean, when he told me and Kankurou that he and Hinata were together, the first thing Kankurou asked was if they did it safe. He just looked at us puzzled."

"You also talked with your other brother? You work fast, woman."

Now it was Temari's turn to be flattered. "I figured that if I delayed it even further I'd probably never do it."She said awkwardly. "And it was good, to talk to them as a family for once I mean. I also told them about you."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as a thousand possibilities went through his mind. "What did you tell them?"

"what is there to tell? Don't worry, your secret is safe." Temari teased, not telling him anything of vital. "Anyway, we're not exactly a happy family, but still, it's getting better. We're making up for the lost years, and it feels more like we're a family than I ever remember."

Shikamaru let it go, and comfornted her instead with another matter. "So that is your resolve why you are standing here right now? Bringing your brother's bride home in order to complete the happy family? Or are you trying to settle the score?" He added, his eyes meeting her, inquiring.

After a few moments, Temari allowed her eyes to meet his, and softly she said: " Maybe a bit of both, I don't really know anymore. The last few months have been an emotional turmoil for me. Anyway, in some ways I'm glad I can leave all those immature feelings behind with my childhood." She concluded with a lot more resolve.

"Yeah, congratulations by the way." Shikamaru said, remembering her birthday and the fact that she was, in fact 3 years older than him. "the 23th right?"

"As knowledgeable as ever." She said, smiling at him with that pleasant smile that made him feel good. "And thank you, but honestly, we have other things to do." She then added on a more serious note.

"You mean sneaking into the compound to get the little heiress?" He asked playfully, taking a quick look at the surroundings. "Because we're almost there."

Temari, too took a look around, but Shikamaru figured it all seemed rather similar to her. "I'm pretty sure you're pretty experienced at the this sneaking around thing by now."

He smirked at her, in a way that maybe he only did to her. "Oh, you have no idea. Come on, let's go." And with those words, he masked his presence and started to sprint.

* * *

**(1) Kenzo**: That is actually a perfume brand… which has great products, I just bought a bottle the other day so; now you know where the name's from.

**(2)** While in my country you are considered an adult at 18, in the USA at 21, etc, the coming-of-age age is 20 in Japan. Considering the fact that this fictional universe is set in Japan, I thought it would be fitting to go with 20. (Also, they have this national coming-of-age festival. You should google it!)

**(3)** Remember? Chapter 2, last flashback. Maybe you should read that one again, just to, I don't know, shed some new light on that conversation with the knowledge you have now. It's starting to make sense now, isn't it?

Thanks again for your patience! for more info, review me with your questions.


	14. Foreign Territories

**Okay guys, the chapter you've all been waiting for. Remember to read the end notes; I'm enlisting Shikatema authors.**

**-o-**

**Chapter 14 – **_**Foreign Territories**_

**-o-**

_Or; in which Shikamaru's goes through some bags, and bags some for his own._

Getting into the compound was relatively easy. Finding Hinata's room, however, was a bit harder. After some trial and error, they finally found the right hallway. Shikamaru noted in the back of his mind how extremely quiet the compound was, almost frighteningly so, but he shrugged it off when he felt Hinata's chakra flicker in silent recognition.

A second later a door opened and a hand motioned them to come in. Shikamaru and Temari shared a look, and then proceeded to enter. Inside the room they met with a rather large room, decorated with a regal taste Shikamaru knew he didn't possess.

Suddenly, a voice greeted them from the other side of the room. "You're here. I'm glad." Hinata spoke, not once stuttering. She was dressed in comfortable traveling clothing, donning a dark cloak on top of them to protect her from both the harsh desert sun as the cold Sunan nights. She sat amids several bags an scrolls, neatly organized and ready to be sealed away.

"Are you done?" He droned in his usual ANBU tone.

Hinata glanced at the packed bags and sighed. "Almost. I had a hard time figuring out what wouldn't be missed." She said.

"People are going to assume you left on a mission, so mission related things should be gone. The most important thing is that some seemingly personal things must be left here, signaling that you would return to them." Shikamaru explained whispering while his eyes took the entire room in, his fingers twitching.

"I wrote a fake diary for a few weeks in preparation." Hinata answered calmly. "Also, I left my flower pressing collection here. Most of the main branch know it is dear to me, and I would never leave it voluntarily behind."

Shikamaru nodded. "Good work. But let me inspect your bags for a moment."

Hinata looked uncomfortable for a moment, and Shikamaru could image that he wouldn't like it either if some stranger went through his most personal belongings. Yet, she stepped aside and said; "O-okay"

Taking one last suspicious look at the door before he kneeled down and opened the first bag. "Nobody takes so many clothing with them on a mission."

"but I'm not going on a mission." Hinata said, raising her hands in defense.

"But _Hinata_ is." He explained irritated. "You won't need this, or this, or this." Shikamaru said, spitting through the bags content and taking some shirts and pants from them. "Do you really need more than one spare pair of shoes?"

"But, I like them." Hinata sputtered helplessly.

Just when Shikamaru was about to become a bit hostile, Temari came to his help. "You can't be seen wearing Konoha clothing anyway." She said to Hinata, dead serious. "I'll take you shopping as soon as you've settled down in Suna."

Hinata looked at her doubtfully. "Really?" Despite her doubt, she did allow Shikamaru to take the shoes out of the bag.

"My treat." Temari promised sugar sweetly, and Shikamaru thanked the heavens for her help when he took the next redundant piece of clothing and handed it back to Hinata. Before Hinata could protest, Temari fake inspected the it, and told her dismissively; "Now trust me, this kimono isn't soft as they make them in Suna. Besides, isn't it a little small on you?"

"I've had it for a long time." Hinata said in her defense, but the ANBU could easily see that Temari's gentle approach was doing wonders. "Okay, I can leave it here, I guess." Reluctantly, She took the kimono and gently folded it, and returned it to her closet.

"Thanks" Shikamaru whispered to Temari when Hinata had her back towards them. Temari smiled that secretive smile of hers, her eyes twinkling of joy, winking just once. Then, moments before Hinata faced them again, her face relaxed as if nothing had happened between them at all.

Deeming the bag's content okay, Shikamaru took the next bag and emptied it on the oak floor. The first thing that caught his eyes had them frowning. He picked up the silver frame, and met Hinata's eyes straight on. "You know you can't take this with you."

"But, that's the only family picture of both my parents I have!" Hinata shrieked desperately, her voice breaking in a plead.

"And do you take it with you every mission?" Shikamaru droned tonelessly and rolled his eyes, knowing what the answer was.

Hinata sputtered, pain in her eyes. Then she lunged forward and snatched the picture from Shikamaru's hands. "No, I won't leave this here. You can take my clothing, you can take my shoes, my weapons, but this I'm taking with me." She said, planting her feet firmly on the ground but close to tears.

"Do you take it with you?" Shikamaru repeated, this time more threateningly. "Answer me."

Brokenly, Hinata stroked the silver frame with her fingertips. "… no, I leave it on my bedside, so I have something come home to." She uttered softly.

"Then _Hinata_ will want to return to it." Shikamaru explained, raising his hand in the air. "Hand it over." He added a little bit harsher than he had intended.

"NO!" Hinata shrieked back stubbornly, tears running from her eyes and her voice quivering.

Seeing her anger and her sadness, Shikamaru felt he'd had enough. "Don't even pretend that I'm the evil person here." He hissed to the soon-to-be-ex-heiress with narrowed eyes. "I never forced you to leave your family behind. This is your choice, the path you choose. I'm merely making sure you actually get to walk it. Don't blame me for something that you yourself are responsible for."

Hinata sighed painfully, and took one last look at the photograph. She kissed the woman's image, and let her running eyes glide over her father's smile. Then, she averted her eyes and without another tear placed it on the bedside.

Shikamaru and Temari shared a look, both knowing that despite Shikamaru's truthful words, Hiinata's choice was not one of a coward. They teamed up and spit through the rest of Hinata's belongings in minutes notice, reducing them to two bags. Hinata didn't protest again, but to her credit didn't shed another tear either while she returned everything Shikamaru and Temari couldn't fit in the bags to their rightful place.

When Shikamaru stepped aside, Hinata just nodded and without another word sealed her belongings into the scroll, and stored it in the inside of her cloak.

"Are you ready to go?" Shikamaru asked her one last time, and Hinata nodded. When their eyes met he could see that despite their redness, there was a strong determination in them. He in return nodded. "Okay, I'm presuming you and Temari prepared a proper clone?"

"Of course" Temari said, taking a scroll of her own out of her pockets, and handing it to Hinata. "Forbidden Technique from Suna. This scroll creates a bloodclone of the person who drops blood on it, without using an overload of chakra, but with all the benefits of a flesh body."

"And how long does this clone stay?" Shikamaru asked skeptically while Hinata unrolled the scroll carefully on the floor.

"That depends on the amount of blood the user sacrifices." Temari explained, eyeing Hinata warily. "And in this case, it's not going to be a bit. Another reason why I needed your help."

"That's rather ingenious." Shikamaru muttered to himself as he watched Hinata slice her own wrist open, spilling copious amounts of blood into the scroll, that in turn absorbed every drop greedily. The morbid scene was eventually stopped by Temari telling Hinata that it should be enough to make the clone last 5 days.

The second Hinata applied a small healing jutsu on her wrist, stopping the bleeding, the scroll started expelling a green sticky substance, that slowly took the shape of Hinata's body. When it was done, Temari and Shikamaru dressed the clone's nude body while Hinata instructed it, the only reason her cheeks weren't glowing in shame being her recent bloodloss. Professionally, they finished her up quickly and took one last look to see if there were any traces left that could give their plan away.

"Let's go." Said Hinata after telling her clone to say goodbye to her teammates for her before it would get 'killed in action'.

"Okay, now for the hard part; getting out without getting seen." "Which is virtually impossible in the house of the byakugan."

"Nobody can look through these walls. The compound's walls were designed to stop the byakugan to prevent a coup d'état."

"I figured as much considering the fact that people have broken into this house before without being noticed." Shikamaru replied, referring to Hinata's kidnapping. "Hell, otherwise I would have never voluntarily gotten in here in the first place! It's not these halls I'm worried about. It's after we're out of the compound. There isn't such a high traffic in the sewers, but if somebody's there, then that person is ANBU level."

Temari sighed. "We'll be careful." Hinata nodded sincerely in agreement.

"Just follow my lead and let Temari take the rear." "But until then, lead the way."

Without another word they left the room. Shikamaru felt somewhat awkward walking behind the ex-heiress without sneaking. He supposed it had become some sort of habit for him that kept his gut swirling.

"Stop!" A voice behind Temari, Shikamaru and Hinata suddenly yelled, and Shikamaru cursed under his breath, not slowing down for a second. Maybe sneaking had been a better plan. "As your superior I order you to stop running away from me!"

He intended to grab Hinata and to make a run for it, but he was too late, Hinata had already turned around and cried "Neji-nii-san!" Next to him he saw Temari rolling her eyes, but halt as well. Though Shikamaru's face was covered by his mask, Temari did not have such luck, and Hinata had already given herself away.

"Why are you kidnapping my cousin, Sabaku no Temari? Is Suna trying to betray us again?" The man said, while staring at her with glassy white eyes. Temari didn't answer him immediately, only released her hold on Hinata's hand. "I assure you that that is not the case." She then answered carefully.

"Nii-san!" Hinata interrupted Neji before he could make a snide remark. "They are not kidnapping me! I am going with them out of my own free will!" And with her eyes rimmed by red and the remnants of tears, Shikamaru was sure that that would sound very plausible to the other Hyuuga.

"Then why are you wearing travel clothes, Hinata-sama? And why are you leaving in the middle of the night, sneaking out of the compound in silence?" Neji said, pointing at her cloak and travel shoes, and the small bag she was carrying with her. Shikamaru resisted the urge to hit him and run away. Neji had already seen too much, but killing him just for that would be over the top. That, and it would create more of mess than this already was. So they needed another way to silence him. He shared a brief look with Temari, and knew what to do. "Did they brainwash you, Hinata-sama, or are you running away?"

Shikamaru gave Hinata a small push in the back, wish made it seem like she took a step forward, engaging the enemy, not running away. Which was quite ironic, in a way. "I am, nii-san. I'm leaving The clan. I'm leaving Konoha." She stuttered out.

To say Neji looked taking aback would have been a severe understatement. His translucent eyes widened almost comically, and his body language screamed shock. "No, you're not." He sputtered out. "Why would you? You have everything here!"

Hinata seemed to fidget for moment before she straightened her back and her resolve, and spoke with no uneven voice; "No, Nii-san, I don't. And I'm sorry b-but, this is my choice."

"No, no, you don't do this. This isn't like you, not like you at all." He kept sputtering, more to himself then to Hinata it seemed. Then, he turned to Temari, his visage this time retorted in pure venom. "You! What did you do to her?" He accused with a loud voice, loud enough to wake people. Shikamaru kept glancing around, praying for some luck. One Hyuuga prodigy he could handle, an enraged father would be quite a bit harder to manage.

Meanwhile, Temari was sweating bullets but not giving in an inch. "I'm helping her, you moron. Now shut up before you wake the entire compound." Is what she said, but her body spoke of something more threatening as one hand traced the hilt of her fan, suggesting an attack.

Neji got the hint, and slipped in to a basic gentle fist stance. "I'm a jounin, and I'll stop you from kidnapping my cousin." He said with a firm resolve and eerie eyes.

Temari didn't waste a second to unfold her miliairy fan. "This is not the time or the place, pretty boy, now move aside or I'll make you."

"Please Nii-san!" Hinata pleaded desperately, but her cousin didn't give in.

"Yes boy, listen to your cousin." Temari added tauntingly.

` ? 

ggg"No, you listen to me. I'm a Jounin" Neji repeated with irritation in his voice. "I outrank you all, so I order you to tell me where you are taking my cousin."

Feeling that this was the right time to interfere, Shikamaru stepped forward, smirked and pulled off his mask, making sure Hinata could only see the back of his head. "I am an ANBU. And I command you to keep quiet. I command you-" He spoke in quiet, steady words, his eyes never leaving Neji's, his hands never out of the seal. Brainwashing Hinata? No, but her cousin would do. "to forget everything that happened tonight. You will return to your room, and go back to sleep. You have a mission tomorrow. It was all a dream." He finished, and Neji just nodded.

From a different perspective, it would seem that Neji was just very good at following orders. The genjutsu was small, subtle. It didn't remove the memories, only pushed them aside until the mind forgot them. It was very simple, too simple to be noticed by anyone. Neji turned around without saying another word and left for what Shikamaru assumed to be his room. Hinata looked kind of confused by her cousins strange behavior, but she was a smart girl and Shikamaru figured that she wouldn't mention it.

"Let's go." He said, returning the fake mask on its place. He missed the heavy weight of his real mask, and this henge was far from perfect, but it served it's purpose until he could convince Tenzou to actually replace his lost mask.

Temari and Hinata nodded, and this time, they did sneak through the halls, not once meeting another Hyuuga.

Their way out of the village went relatively easy. Shikamaru took the lead once they hit the sewers, and within 30 minutes they were standing outside of the village, their faces covered by the dark and their sounds covered by the raindrops that splattered into the soil like blood dripping from a mortal wound.

The forest was quiet, too quiet. Shikamaru, Temari and Hinata walked through the eastside of the forest without saying a word. While their journey so far could have been worse, their pace was slow and silent. Uncomfortable even, but it was not them that made the situation foreign.

It was the woods. The further they got away from Konoha, the more trees were uprooted, or even broken. Animals were howling and the leaves above them made silent, ominous sounds. The smell of decay hit his nose, and he stiffened slightly for a second, hyper sensitive.

"Something's wrong." Temari said, stating the obvious. A howling wind agreed, and Hinata was visibly suppressing the urge to activate her Byakugan. "Look" She said, and pointed at tree.

Claw marks were all over the tree bark, and Shikamaru couldn't help but see the something the others wouldn't notice. The tree's wounds had some lingering signs of chakra. A patch of blood on the bark confirmed his suspicions, but he kept quiet. He thought he heard a branch snapping a few times, but dismissed it as his 'healthy paranoia' .

Without getting even slightly less suspicious Shikamaru kept leading the three of them through the woods towards where he knew Suna was. When the sun had set at least an hour ago, he allowed them to halt. "Secure the location Hyuuga, please." He urged the Hyuuga, while he himself tried to detect any hidden presences in the near area. When Hinata released her byakugan with the confirmation that they truly were alone, only then he allowed them to settle down and set up a small camp.

As soon as the tents had been set up and they ate some of their supplies, Hinata left for bed, without words telling them that the emotional and physical strain of the day had gotten to her. Though Shikamaru figured the bloodloss had also something to do with it.

That left Shikamaru, Temari and a bonfire. "Lovely night isn't it?" Temari said almost awkwardly.

"Yeah, love all the stars up there. The closer we are to the desert, the more I can spot." Shikamaru replied, unlacing the ties of his mask and letting it fall off. "But to be honest, I can't wait to get this over with and just have a good night of sleep." To emphasis his words he stretched his back until his joints cracked.

He looked up to find Temari staring at his mask with strange eyes. "So, why the secrecy by the way?" She asked after a moment of silence. "I mean, your friends, family and teacher don't know an important part of your life. Doesn't that bug you? I can't believe that that's healthy for a relationship."

"Well, of course it would defy the point of wearing a mask if I would go flaunting around my identity." Shikamaru said matter-of-factly, imagining the point of wearing a mask if you told everyone you were in ANBU.

It seemed Temari did the same, seeing as she giggled somewhat. "You know what I mean, though."

Shikamaru sighed. Of course he did. He traced Hinata's chakra signature for a while, and figured she wouldn't be awake to hear him speak about it anyway. "Well, at first Tsunade forbid me from telling anybody. That was during my training period, in which was both a test if I could keep a secret and to keep up appearances. Also, my father would have pulled me out of ANBU the second he found out." He explained, trying to convey the need and his reasons in his words. "And after that period I was already so used to keeping it a secret that I kept it that way. It sure saves me a lot of trouble." He added.

Temari seemed to accept his words. "Maybe you _should_ tell your parents. It would make everything a lot easier, I suppose."

"I ought to, yes," Shikamaru said, sighinig. This wasn't a conversation he'd like to have all day. Especially not on a day like this in a place he didn't trust. "I thought about it before. It's not that I'm reluctant to breach the rules a little bit. But I've waited too long. If they found out I've been active since I was 13, my father will go on a killing spree. Not to mention my mom."

Temari rolled her eyes at the exaggeration while the shadows of the bonfire traced her features. "Maybe, but that is your own fault for waiting so long." She said after a moment of contemplation. "Maybe if you explain why you kept it a secret, he will understand."

"Explain to my _father_?" Shikamaru said incredulously. "Have you ever met him? He is quite relaxed and carefree, but when it comes to his beliefs, he is extremely headstrong. Nobody 'explains' something to him. Especially since he has voiced his dislike for the organization on various occasions!"

Temari looked somewhat taken aback by his outburst. "I didn't know it ran that deep. How come, anyway? I thought it was a respected job?" She questioned awkwardly.

Shikamaru thought about it for a moment. "I don't know actually , I've never actually cared enough to ask. I might some day, if he brings it up. Otherwise he would just get suspicious." He really didn't know exactly why his father was so anti-ANBU, but then again, what they did wasn't always pretty.

"Oh, so that's where you got your paranoia from…" Temari commented playfully, once again that secret smile dominating her features and lightening her up among the unpredictable darkness of the trees. He smiled and poked her sides at that point that had everybody yelp in surprise.

"Hey! That was a compliment!" She yelled with mock anger, but never did the playfulness leave her eyes the way it did this afternoon in the compound. Not even when she asked more uncomfortable questions. "And how about your friends? Why didn't you tell them, or is that filed under the same category as your parents?"

First, Shikamaru just wanted to say 'because of how our families work', which was standard knowledge in Konoha. Then again, Temari wasn't from Konoha, as her bronzed skin told him. "Okay, being from Suna, you don't know this of course." He explained, his eyes watching the shadows dance across her face. "But our families have been teamed up for 16 generations. Our father's are best friends, our grandparents are best friends with each other and so on. If I told Ino, het father, who specializes in mindreading, would probably at some point get it out of her, if even on accident. And if he knew, than all three families would know."

"Traditions, traditions. Can't live with them, can't live without them." Temari muttered, understanding dawning upon her as the dark tree trunks swayed softly in the wind. "But why not just tell your other teammate? I'm sure mindreading sessions aren't a weekly affair between your families?"

"He's a good, honest guy. I trust him to keep a secret alright, but not from Ino. That, and she's also pretty good with the mindreading jutsu. I can keep her at bay in my mind, but Chouji isn't trained to hide information during an interrogation session."

"You really put a lot of thought into this." Temari concluded softly, barely loud enough to hear over the trickle of water flowing over rock in a nearby creek.

Dark leaves swaying in the summer wind didn't keep Shikamaru from moving a little bit closer. "Of course I did, that is what I do."

"A blessing in disguise, I presume." Temari said with that same mirth in her eyes, seemingly not minding at all.

Shikamaru shrugged. "If anything." He returned his eyes to the woman next to him, just in time to see her hide a shiver. "Hey, you're cold?"

Temari shrugged it off, and instead just scotched a little bit closer. "Just a bit. It's nothing really." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, and as on cue she shivered again. Defeated, Temari gestured at her bag dismissively. "Plus, I have a spare blanket in my bag."

Either being sweeped up by the mood or having a chivalrous moment, Shikamaru got up and got her bag. In the meantime Temari sat back relaxed, enjoying the atmosphere they'd created.

Then, suddenly, the mood changed and Temari sensed it as if it hit her in the face with her very own tessen.

"Temari" Came Shikamaru's voice from her left, chilly and nothing like the playful, lazy or dutiful tones she had come to know.

Temari gulped."Yes?"

Then Shikamaru's unmasked face turned to her, his long messy hair swaying in the ghostly wind, and his face the very picture of controlled rage. "What is my mask doing in your bag?" Shikmaru said in a carefully controlled tone making Temari get up to be able to defend herself in case of need.

"I kind of borrowed it." She replied, trying not to look too affected.

Then, the bomb exploded and within seconds Shikamaru was in front of her, sword drawn and eyes ablaze. "What, do you have any idea how much trouble that caused me? What gave you the fucking right to steal it?" He yelled, all shit he'd had to endure from his teacher flashing before his eyes. He gritted his teeth, trying to quell the urge to hit her hard.

"Vengeance, okay?" Temari yelled right back, Shikamaru's anger obviously getting to her. "And I presumed that if I had your mask you would follow me and help me save Gaara."

"So you decided to steal from your rescuer? Real bright Temari, real bright!" Shikamaru spit into her face, his sarcastic laughter echoing through the dark forest. "Were you even planning on returning it, ever? God, how can I trust you after this?"

Temari's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Shikamaru knew he'd had her angry now. "Oh, don't you fucking start about that." She hissed with pure venom dripping from her tongue. "God knows that if one of us is the secretive dishonest person, it is you, hypocrite."

Teammates or not, Shikamaru rammed Temari hard into the tree somewhat behind her. As the wood hit her back, Shikamaru saw her close her eyes tightly and bite down a yell, but he didn't care. He grabbed her shoulders harshly to keep her pinned against the tree, causing her to jerk her eyes open. Violent emotions swirled around in her eyes, but Shikamaru noted in the back of his mind that there was also some fear there.

"Anymore things you've been keeping from me, woman?" His voice was deadly low, and Temari's gulped, choking out a strangled 'no'.

At that answer Shikamaru released his grip on her throat. "I didn't…mean to." She spit out as she tried to breathe properly and wiggle her way out of his grip. But Shikamaru's hands were unrelenting.

The answer didn't make Shikamaru's anger. Instead, he pushed back against her shoulders, and tried to remain his calm as he spoke once again in ice cold anger slicing through the night sky "You took something that is mine, not only that. Something that I needed! After all I did was helping you. What right did your diluted head make up to allow you to take my mask?" He asked again, and he saw how his words were fueling her anger. She felt sorry, maybe even guilty, but apparently at being pinned down against a tree in repentance didn't quite compensate her mistakes. With one harsh move of her foot, Shikamaru nearly lost his balance and his grip.

"I didn't' commit a fucking murder! Yes, I 'stole' your mask. I was going to give it back right after we'd met again, but then I was shipped off to the hospital and honestly, I had other things on my mind!" "So fuck you, and let me go! I don't deserve this shit from you Shikamaru!" Shikamaru felt himself freeze up momentarily at the mention of his name, but then his temper flared back to life and he kicked he right back, making her wince all over again.

He was shaking from anger, rage and frustration and God it felt so good to just let it all out for once when somebody gave back as good as she got. Temari was, in all her anger and despite her postion, unrelenting. And, God, who the hell cared anyway?

Without any other thought Shikamaru pressed his full body weight into Temari as his lips met hers, aggressively pressing his lips against hers and just doing whatever felt right for those two seconds it took Temari to realize he had released her hands in favor to cup her face, and push him away.

"What the fuck Nara!" She shouted, and for a moment the implications got through the hazy mess that was Shikamaru's mind. They both stared at each other, breath stopped, eyes never leaving each other. Some of Shikamaru's murderous thoughts left his mind, but he was still seething.

"What?" He gritted out angrily

"You did that on purpose!" Temari accused, and then her own words dawned upon her as she took a minute to let it sink in. "Wait, wait, wait. You, argh! Oh what the hell" Shikamaru would never know exactly what it was that'd went through her mind that moment, but he definitely knew that this wasn't really new when she lunged forward instead and captured his lips with aggressive skill. Within seconds they were pressed together against a dead tree, trying to get as much bodily contact as possible while Shikamaru channeled all his frustration through his lips.

A feeling in his gut flared, and for once it was good. Temari wasted no time in prying his mouth open with her tongue, making him press her harder against the bark and trying to give back as good as he got. The feeling of her slipping her tongue underneath his made his toes curl, and he returned the gesture with surprising zealousness. He heard Temari sigh quietly into his mouth when the pressure of his hands finally slid away from her shoulders, and again felt it hitch when he moved them to cup her cheeks, kissing her more softly as the fire of anger had slowly been dissolved into a warm heat in his gut that fired their movements. He enjoyed her wandering hands, curious and carefull, as he dared to open his eyes. She looked content. Tilting his head slightly, he broke the kiss and looked her in the eye.

"I _did_ mean to, this time." Temari said strongly, but Shikamaru could easily deduce that there was vulnerability behind that statement. He took the liberty of meeting her lips once more, this time more gently, tilting his head to taste her fully. It was impulsive and rather unlike either of them, but not unpleasant or completely unexpected. When he pulled back and opened his eyes again, there was a smile on her face this time. "For a long time, maybe."

" That's great." Shikamaru said non-commitically as he nuzzeled her neckline, all anger having left him. His mind was working overtime, but amindst the chaos, there was not that insecurity that he could read in Temari's eyes. He'd felt right when he did it. Wouldn't mind repeating it. That was enough for now.

Temari sighed, and Shikamaru figured it was in contentment. "I hope this isn't how you lose your aggression on a regular basis."

"I usually don't get this aggressive." He whispered in her neck. "Wouldn't mind making this a regular thing though."

Temari sighed again, and he felt her body relax underneath his once again. Softly she trailed her hands into his hair, and caress his head, coaxing him to look up. They held each other's gaze for a moment, and both made prepared to say something, deciding not to at the last second if their gaping mouths were any inclination. There was a lot unsaid, and a lot that was out there in the open that should be clarified, but for the moment Temari seemed to be content to meet him halfway in another kiss. It was short, open eyed and by no means not awkward, but it was good. When he deepened it a bit Temari made a pretty noise that send his thoughts reeling again. Encouraged he swiped his tongue over her upper lip again, gaining a similar result. When they parted that sweet, oh so secret smile was on Temari's lips again, only this time adorned with a pretty blush that made her seem nowhere near novice or innocent.

He took a step backwards, and helped Temari get off the tree. "Let's not wake the princess."

"Who's the princess here?" Temari said with a wide grin as they sat back down at the bonfire, this time sharing warmth as they leaned into each other.

Shikamaru faked thinking about it. "We're still in Konoha's territory, so she is." Then it hit him. "Shit, we're still in Konoha." Within seconds his instincts took over again and he scanned the area again, only to once again find it void of any potential enemies.

Looking back at his… partner, for the lack of better word, he found her rolling her eyes at him again.

"In my paranoia's defense; you were pretty loud." He retorted when she hid a smile behind her hand.

"I'll show you loud next time we spar." She said, the picture of dead serious in all but her eyes (and maybe her slightly swollen lips, but Shikamaru was still somewhat hesitant to let his thoughts linger there now he had sobered up)

"I'm looking forward to it." He answered, averting his eyes to the starlit sky above them. Just then, a bird approached them. He frowned and halted his step. That wasn't just any bird.

It was a hawk with a ribbon. A black ribbon.

"Is that a messenger hawk?" Temari asked as she followed his gaze. The bird was approaching quickly, eventually landing right in front of Shikamaru.

Shikamaru kneeled down and stretched his arm out, inviting the bird to hop on and deliver the message.

"From ANBU, for me, no doubt about it." Shikamaru concluded after he'd searched the bird for hidden messages. ANBU didn't do letters, too easy to intercept. But there was only a black ribbon, no fake or encrypted scrolls. And that, that made it that much more threatening.

"Does that mean…?" Temari asked, stroking the hawk. Shikamaru nodded and her face ashened. "That's way too early. The fake Hinata shouldn't have died yet, or at least not reported dead already."

" You wake Hinata, I'll pack our stuff." Shikamaru said, and Temari nodded, leaving right away for Hinata's tent.

Shikamaru wasted no time and extinguished the fire. "Get up, Hinata-san." He heard Temari say, waking the heiress. "We might be discovered."

Judging by her voice, Hinata didn't panic. "I'll pack my stuff immediately." Before she could come back, Shikamaru slipped his mask back on, feeling that trusted heavy weight take his features and feelings away once more.

Within minutes they'd assembled all their belongings and wiped their traces out. "Hinata, you go to the checkpoint. It shouldn't be too far from here, and Kazekage-sama is probably already waiting for you there. He'll accompany you the rest of your journey." Shikamaru explained to her, and she nodded.

Temari disagreed. "That's too dangerous! I'll go with her."

Shikamaru shook his head. "No, I need you to go back to Konoha with me to do some damage control. If I have to trace the Hyuuga Heir back to Konoha, you're going to help me create the perfect deception all the way." She did owe him a favor or two anyway, and god knew he needed help.

Temari seemed to remain skeptical, but perhaps their many experiences as team by now made her nod. "Okay."

Shikamaru held her gaze for a second. "Trust me." He almost demanded.

"I said okay, didn't I?" Temari said in feigned annoyance, and waved it off.

"I didn't say you didn't." He added, before turning towards the other person in the small clearing. "Well, Hyuuga. I think this is the last of our journeys together. It might not have always been a sweet ride, but it was a pleasure." He said, and offered his hand for her to shake.

Hinata smiled gratefully and took his hand with both of hers, shaking it. "The pleasure was mine, Shikamaru-kun."

Shikamaru's eyes shot open and beside him, he could hear Temari suck in a breath. "Wh-Hu-Argh! How did you know it was me?" He cradled his head in his hands, pushing his mask up to reveal his flabbergasted face.

"You may hide your face, your scent, your chakra, but you can't hide your chakra pathways from a byakugan user, at least, not one who recognizes them." She answered without raising her voice or seeming affected by her revelation. She'd known for some time, it seemed. Probably from the very beginning. "Now, I thank you, for your support, your words, and your secrecy. I will return the favor."

He'd have to take that. Damn, that woman was troublesome. He'd known it from the very start. "That's…. great." He said somewhat awkwardly.

"We'll meet again, that I'm sure off." Hinata said, still smiling that damned pleasant smile. "Please look after Shino and Kiba for me."

"I will." Shikamaru yelled out, if only to keep her indebted to him.

That seemed to be enough for Hinata. She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and all emotional turmoil seemed to be gone."Now, we're in a hurry." She urged, and turned to his companion. "Temari-san, I'll see you soon. You owe me a shopping trip."

And with those words the Hyuuga-heiress turned around and sprinted towards the checkpoint, leaving Shikamaru and Temari behind, having underestimated her one final time.

"Well, that was…"

"Unexpected?" Temari filled in. "Understatement. Damn, I'm going to keep an eye on her once we're back in Suna. I don't trust her a bit." But despite her words, a smile graced her face.

-End of chapter 14-

* * *

**Title explanation: **Okay, so Shikamaru breaks into the Hyuuga compound, camps in a desolated part of the woods and makes out with his 'partner'. Pretty much foreign territory for our soon to be 17 year old, ne?

**Romance & Kissing: **Okay, so here is the theory that I'd had all along; two people who are both trained to be so on their toes and careful not to seem vulnerable, wouldn't just make the step from friends to more without a little push. In this case: mutual anger, frustration and that attraction with which they'd been toying for the past 13 chapters. I hope you weren't to surprised by the intensity or Shikamaru's enthusiasm, but as he explained himself, he had an uncharacteristic moment of … explosion. Anyway, I enjoyed writing it. I hope you liked the build-up as much as this… conclusion? Climax? Not quite, ne?

**Next Chapter: **_In which the black ribbon will be explained and things once again, force Shikamaru to change his plans. This time only, it might just be a change that is there to stay. Also; next chapter marks the middle of the story, plot-wise, not chapter-wise. _

**Shikatema Secret Valentines Project: **This is a call for all Shikatema writers out there. This year I'm organizing a spring exchange of Shikatema fanfiction called 'Video Games'. So, I you want to get a Shikatema fic for St. Valentines this year, and are willing to write a 5K+ work for somebody else in return, PM or review here. More info will follow on my FF homepage. Please join everybody, and spread the Shikatema Love!

**Other stuff: **Happy new year! I hope you guys enjoyed my present to you! Can I get your feetback in return? Love, Ellisama


	15. Black Ribbons, Red Ribbons

_**Long absence is long. Writer's blocks are evil. I hope you still enjoy this, and read the notes at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

_**Insight: Asuma**_

_/One week ago/_

_/It was a nice sunny day in Konoha, with little clouds marring an otherwise spotless sky. But Asuma hadn't quite been able to enjoy days like these for awhile. _

_Cloudy days reminded him of Shikamaru, and of remnants of a happy, distant past. Like most Jounin sensei, Asuma never imagined he'd be this attached to a genin team, but somewhere down the line he'd started considering those kids his own. _

_Which was a funny notion, in the light of their recent development. Kuranai. Pregnant. Parenthood just a few months away. He still couldn't quite wrap his mind around it, hence the secrecy. The stress had left him unable to sleep, hell unable to smoke! He'd never thought that would happen. Not that he didn't want to become a father! He just, wasn't ready to raise a child, to see them grow up and eventually grow apart._

_Like Shikamaru. Funny how things always seemed to come down to him. Right now, he was tasked with finding the guy to go on a mission with a pretty high clearance level. He'd be the first to admit the group had grown (fallen) apart without Shikamaru in their midst, but the past half a year it had become worse and worse. Rumors were swirling around in every street about his student's generation anyway. Hinata supposedly had an affair with some ANBU (Yeah, right!) and team 7 had been placed as an S-Rank organization in the Iwa-Bingobook. (That one was a little less harder to believe. Kakashi had never been quite alright in the head, but since he'd taken on that team things had gone downhill quite fast. Still, they were what? 16? 17?) There were some strange rumors about his little wayward student as well, but those we're too farfetched to even mention. But other than those little strings of market gossip, there was no trace of Shikamaru, and frankly Asuma was quite sick of chasing a shadow._

_As the remnants of team 10 had found out quite early after Shikamaru was promoted, the guy tended to vanish from time to time, and when he did, there was no use looking for him. Now was no different, and Asuma wasn't too inclined to pretend he was still going to find him. If he could still stand the taste of smoke, he'd been smoking cigarettes since the Hokage asked him to assemble a team. Instead, he sighed and decided to either assemble some other members of the former rookie 9, or just pass the mission to Kakashi altogether. He still owed him one anyway._

_Still in doubt, Asuma marched on, not once stopping to enjoy the beautiful sight of the sky above him./_

* * *

_**Chapter 15: Black Ribbon, Red Ribbon**_

_When everything is like the movies,_

_Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive _

_When everything is meant to be broken  
_

_I just want you to know who I am.**  
**_

Carefully treading the land of his birth, Shikamaru felt the fear flooding his senses. He couldn't quite put a finger on the feeling. Maybe it was his paranoia. _(maybe not)._ He looked over his shoulder at his travel companion, lit by the flickering light of the morning sun. She shared his worries, he could tell. If this little conspiracy was found out, not only the two of them would be affected. Even though officially Suna and Konoha were allies, after years and years of war the population of the two countries still held a wary peace. One nicely timed political slip up could break that treaty. And Shikamaru knew that at least one Konoha elder would take the opportunity to accuse Suna of kidnapping Hinata.

That would mean war. He'd known that of course, before he decided to participate, but only because he'd foolishly believed that the chance of defeat was so small it was hardly a risk. Another wave of fear traveled through his body, along with a decent dose of self-loathing. He really, really needed to stop underestimating the odds. He could still hear Tenzou's voice echo through his mind: _"Overestimating won't kill you, underestimating will."_ It was simple, crystal clear and dear _god_ Tenzou was going to strangle him with his beloved roots if he found out what Shikamaru had been up to. Certainly he wouldn't offer him a scarf after he was done with him… (That is, if he survived: his teacher didn't deal well with treachery.)

That was when Shikamaru stopped his train of thoughts and invested his energy into crossing the distance to Konoha faster. He would deal with that when the time came. He'd explain himself and accept his teacher's judgment. After that, he'd face the Hokage and help to control the damage he'd done. How, he had no clue as of yet, but he didn't bother to waste another second thinking about it when he saw the dark towers of Konoha's walls rise above the forest, silhouetted by the light of the dawn. Knowing they could almost sense him, he completely masked his chakra and felt Temari follow his example, stopping right next to him. "I'll have your back, don't worry." She said with a teasing smile on her still swollen lips that didn't quite reach her eyes. He nodded, gratefully, and she mouthed 'don't mention it', right before giving his hand a firm squeeze and encouraging him to continue. Releasing a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, he led her back into the city of leafs.

The underground system was clammy and it didn't help Shikamaru to improve his mood at all. The dripping sound of water echoing throughout the entire underground felt like little feet, following Shikamaru at an uncomfortably close distance, like an invisible enemy creeping up on his prey. _(It sounded too much like an ANBU for his comfort, but he tried to suppress that thought.) _It didn't keep him from constantly looking over his shoulder to check his surroundings. If Temari noticed his behavior, she never commented on it. In the end, they encountered not a single soul until they reached Shikamaru's own room within the facility. Carefully opening the door, Shikamaru was relieved to find it empty, and ushered Temari in. The room was still a mess, but Shikamaru had never been one to care.

"I take it I wait here while you get some intell?" Temari whispered, sitting down on his bed awkwardly while Shikamaru set up numerous genjutsu.

Shikamaru nodded in reply, testing the barrier he'd placed around his partner in crime a few times before meeting her eyes.

It was quiet and for the first time since everything had gone wrong they were both reminded of all those other times they had been alone and not quite; on that roof top many months ago, in the forest, in the hospital, in the sewers and finally, in the forest again. Shikamaru's mask hid the subtle coloring of his cheeks, but Temari wasn't that lucky and resorted to looking away. It seemed that especially that last episode was still fresh in their minds.

In retrospect Shikamaru could acknowledge that there had been a build up, that there had been lingering feelings of '_something'_ ever since that time they'd first fought in the Chuunin exams. It was raw, had not been intended to be addressed by either of them, but it had happened either way. There was a lot of unresolved issues and unknown territory between them, but now was not the time to explore it.

When she turned her face back to his again, he whispered his parting words. "We'll talk about this. Later, when I come back." He added hesitantly, forcing himself to move away from her.

Temari seemed to swallow a few witty replies, her trembling hands being the only indication that she'd rather not stay here. Instead, she nodded solemnly and held her tongue. There was little she could do in this situation, and none of it would help their cause.

It went unsaid that _'this'_ meant more than just their plan. He snuck one last glance at the woman he was trusting with his second home before he closed the door and locked it. Then he allowed his chakra to flow through his body again and teleported himself right in front of his superior's door. He took one deep breath, calming his nerves and steeling his features. The next second his mask came off, dangling on the other side of his face. Armed with nothing but the cursed black ribbon in his hand, he knocked on the door, and was allowed in instantly.

He'd expected accusing glances, at the very least. Hell, he'd been prepaired for instant arrest, a paralyzing jutsu or just a kunai aimed strait at his vital points. Instead he was met with an empty room, safe for one occupant: The captain commander.

"Close the door behind you, please." The man ordered, his voice sounding somewhat different than usual. That probably wasn't a good sign. Without a single protest Shikamaru followed his order and then sat down in the chair in front of the man.

"I'd expected you to be here earlier." The man said without a hint of emotion in his voice, sitting down as well. After a quick observation of the man, it seemed not only his voice had been affected, but also his appearance. Although it was hard to see through the uniform and the mask his superior was wearing, Shikamaru could easily see that in the few weeks he hadn't seen him he'd lost some weight. When the man spoke again, Shikamaru tore his eyes from the man's body and met his eyes. "I send out a message more than a day ago."

'_More than a day ago?' _that didn't match up with the facts. Either the man was testing him, or Shikamaru and his superior we're both thinking about completely different things. Best to play along, Shikamaru decided. "I was outside of the village. Training" he added as an afterthought.

His superior waved it off. "Anyway. Usually I wouldn't waste my time on such matters, but seeing as he was an important member of our community, I feel the need to inform you in person."

_He?_ As in, _male?_ What the hell was going on here? Shikamaru's brain was quickly forming and discarding possible theories.

The commander, taking Shikamaru's inability to form a decent reply and visible confusion as a sign to continue, handed him a small scroll with a black ribbon on top of it. Wordlessly and infinitely dreading the content, Shikamaru took it.

"Needless to say, you are off missions for the upcoming two weeks. In exactly 14 days I want you here back in my office, and we will talk about you current position." He added while getting up from his chair. The man's motions were fluent as always, but Shikamaru's sharp eye could see the awkwardness in his movement. The man was affected as well by whoever had died.

Red might be the color of death, and white the color of mourning, but within Konoha death was foreshadowed by black. The moment Shikamaru had spotted the messenger hawk, he'd known that someone had died.

Now, as he opened the scroll, it seemed that it wasn't the notion of Hinata's clone's death that he'd expected. Instead, it was far worse. A chilling wave went through his body, and Shikamaru brought a trembling hand to his eyes. Blinking furiously, he willed the characters to change, hoping his eyes would deceive him.

They never did.

_Official notion of death of Number_ _010992, Male, 27, ANBU. KIA by Criminal Organization (Akatsuki, Hidan (23, male, Yugakure) and/or Kakuzu (92, male, Takigakure)). _

It continued for a while longer, listing in short simple words how the man that he'd come to see as more than a teacher had died.

And just like that, Shikamaru's world stood still. He felt his heart sink, his eyes tearing up and his mind going haywire in denial. But he couldn't deny the facts as they were presented to him. The little scroll unceremoniously said it.

Tenzou was dead. Forever.

He'd dealt with death. Hell, he'd killed people before. But this, this was different. He read the notion again, hoping he'd missed the part where this was some sick sort of training exercise, knowing he wouldn't find it.

Then, he looked up and met the back of the Captain Commander, who'd apparently at some point gotten up and turned around. "He left you his belongings in his room in this facility. Please remove everything you are willing to keep within the next few days. Dismissed."

Shikamaru's eyes went wide, and he abruptly got up, knocking his chair over. The Commander didn't turn around. This was just another part of his job. Shikamaru knew that. He knew that! But, as he tried to form a coherent sentence, the Commander refused to look at him.

Shikamaru backed away from the man, stumbled over his own feet, into the door. The man didn't pay him any attention. Wide eyed, Shikamaru's hand found the doorknob, opened the door and fled the scene.

Running felt like a good idea. Running away from a monster that was eating his world piece by piece, Shikamaru proved to himself that he was still human. He ran and ran and ran, leaving silence and a few teardrops in his wake.

He forgot about the world. In a daze he ran all the way to Tenzou's room on the far east side of the complex. Within seconds the door was gone, shredded from the doorpost with one desperate electric blast. Tenzou's room was tidy, as usual. There were too many plants, leaves hanging limply from the lack of water. Shikamaru's shoulders slumped, and the next second he felt his knees hit the floor. The dull ache of his cheek hitting the solid oak floor didn't register as Shikamaru let his tears flow.

He was weak, once again, and this time there was no Tenzou to pick him up and beat it out of him. There was no strict teacher to encourage him, to disobey. He was alone. Truly alone. He laid there for a long time, staring numbly at his hands and wondering why, why? The unbreakable man was gone.

He fell down on Tenzou's bed, face first. Nose buried deep in the comforter, Shikamaru could imagine that it smelled like wood and blood, like Tenzou had. Instead it smelled like antiseptic and flowers, like soap. There was no trace of the forest in this room, and just like that Shikamaru felt like that 5 year old kid, watching his parents fight out their battle in silence. He was back at those awkward kitchentable days when his father wouldn't quite be there, back when the man was still a reluctant father and his mother had stopped trying to compensate. He heard footsteps in the hall, and felt ANBU swarm the compound, but in the end, nothing had changed. He was alone. Shikamaru was back at square one, with the bitter illusion of improvement slipping away between his fingers, allowing him to feel it for a second before it was gone forever, only to leave him with the perfect memory of Eden haunting him.

But only this time, time wouldn't heal the wounds. Tenzou was dead. Gone, forever. Shikamaru was stuck with a perfect memory of an unfinished life, of a man who wanted to retire but had to raise a kid instead. Who had, despite everything, did what he'd wanted the least and had fucking aced it. He'd done his duty, and now he was dead.

He gripped the sheets tightly, as the cold thoughts flooded his ice cold mind. The pain ate away at him, but after the feeling of hollowness had passed, a cruel sense of clarity had taken its place. He'd come a long way, crawling up from that pit he'd been sitting his entire childhood. But just because he had climbed, didn't mean he had climbed enough. He knew _–had always known-_ that there was a long road ahead of him.

He'd climbed fast, as fast as any normal human could. He'd parried, slashed and jumped his way through every course his teacher had set up, and had succeeded any expectations anybody would ever have for a normal kid. But guilt still consumed him, ate his insides and made him want a plunge a kunai in his stomach just to make it stop swarming, because he knew he could have done better. Because maybe that tattoo on his shoulder meant he wasn't normal, and maybe those kids in the academy had been right all along.

Because maybe Tenzou hadn't been the first to beg him, in his own ways, to try harder. Because maybe that if he would've listened to his mother when he was 7, asking him quietly why he never seemed to want to _try_ anymore, if he'd actually aimed to excel instead of move forward, he wouldn't be here. Maybe it would've been Tenzou lying on this bed instead of him.

And maybe not. Sinking like a brick, the knowledge that whatever had happened was final hit home and sent another chill through him. He was sorry – sorry for not exceeding the expectations and sorry for not even getting a goodbye – but muttering sorry didn't seem right.

Tenzou didn't deserve sorry. He deserved a retirement in a nice forest. That's what he deserved, but that's not what he got. And in the end, all those good intentions didn't matter, because what's done is done.

And most importantly, what has to be done has to be done. Shikamaru wasn't afraid of death, if anything he longed for its embrace right now. And Tenzou was no stranger to it either. They'd both killed many, many people. Tenzou did what he did because he had to do it. Not because he wanted to.

Shikamaru pushed himself up from the bed, staring at the comforter. There were some darker spots we're his eyes had been, and Shikamaru reached for them. Feeling detached from his body, Shikamaru felt the wetness, and wondered exactly how much he had cried. The same hand touched his cheeks, hot but dry.

He'd sworn once, in childlike naivety, that he wouldn't become like this. But his mind was clear and his path was free. Tenzou had died in line of duty, and no illusion of a home and children was standing in his way anymore. There was the notion of breaking the family tradition, of leaving Ino and Chouji behind, but it scattered in his face as Shikamaru realized that he'd broken what was left of them a long time ago.

He might not have chosen this, but he didn't stop it from happening so he might as well have. Because all his good intentions wouldn't report at the Captain Commander's office tomorrow morning, but a highly trained killer.

This was not about protecting Konoha. _(because in the grand scheme of events, Tenzou's death meant less than a small raindrop in the sea)_ This was not about dying honourably, or being selfless.

This wasn't about the leaf village: this was about blood.

This was not about why his sword had sliced through skin and bone alike, and it was about time that he'd stop making himself those illusions of dying for an ideal. In the face of death he'd be no more than his victims. Saying that Tenzou's death hadn't been fair was a lie: the man had killed, stolen and tortured on the command of his superiors.

Shikamaru stood up, feeling guilt and dread flow down and leave him like shedding skin, taking all those illusions with him. Maybe this was what Tenzou had been trying to teach him all along, his final lesson. It didn't matter what had driven his sword; all that mattered was that it did move.

Tenzou had died in line of duty. Shikamaru would probably meet the same fate, but he found that it didn't matter anymore. All death is certain. Whether it was for the sake of some trifle between Konoha and Akatsuki or because of an accident, it didn't really matter.

He packed his teacher's weapons, one by one. They felt heavy, but with every kunai and shuriken that he removed from his late teacher's second home, he felt the weight in gut lessen. Instead, a sullen emptiness was filling it, permanently this time.

By the time he closed the door behind him, Shikamaru was a masked man instead of a man wearing one.

When he entered his own room many hours later, he mindlessly ducked to miss the kunai aimed straight for his vitals. Instead, they hit the door, pretty much ruining the wood in the process.

"Oh, it's just you." Temari said, coming from her hiding place. "What took you so long- what happened?" She said on a less angry tone when she saw the look on his face.

"He's dead" Was all that she got. Shikamaru didn't spare her a glance, instead stored some goods into his spare drawer, and then proceeded to fill a bag with supplies.

"Who?" She probed after watching him pack for a while.

"Tenzou." He replied monotonously.

He could feel her eyes burn holes into his back. "Who?"

"My teacher. ANBU teacher." He replied, his body language betraying no emotion.

"Oh." He heard Temari utter dumbly, which would have been funny if only there had been something to laugh about. "Are you okay?" She added uncertainly, a bit like in that distant memory in the forest.

He paused this time, and turned around. "Yes. I'm a ANBU. Don't you get emotional training in Suna?" He replied harshly, and in the corner of his eye he could see her flinch at that familiar statement.

"Haha." Temari replied sarcastically, but if she wanted to say anything else, it died before it could reach her lips. Shikamaru didn't mind. He couldn't be bothered to deal with anything else right now. When she didn't say anything else he tossed a bag to her, which she caught with ease.

"What?"

"Go pack. I'm sure you've been here long enough to figure out where the food is stored."

"You're going after the killer." She deadpanned, and he didn't bother to answer. "You're expecting me to go with you." She added with the same tone again, and Shikamaru resisted the urge to sigh.

"There are two of them, S-class." He explained while his cold, clear and sober mind ran over the facts again. "Even though I could probably take them on my own if I had an unlimited amount of time to execute my plan, I only have 2 weeks. My chance of success with a partner is 63.7 to 72.4% higher. And-"

He was cut off by the pain of his back making contact with his dresser. He met the eyes of a passive-aggressive Temari, who had pushed him into it and was keeping him there, and noted dumbly that this probably meant that she needed some further persuasion. "Don't ever treat me like a statistic." She growled, eyes burning and smoking like cigarettes.

"I'm not a fact, I'm a kunoichi." She continued on a calmly threatening tone, never once letting go of him. "Yes, a resource to my village, but also a human being underneath all that. I know you're out of your mind right now and that that this notion of revenge is probably the only thing that is keeping you from going lo-"

He interrupted the spitfire dully. "It's not revenge."

One eyebrow shot up to her hairline and and a disbelieving sardonic smirk took over her features. "Are you not packing to set out to kill your teacher's killers, then?" She said maliciously.

"I am fulfilling my duty as his student by completing the mission he could not. There are no emotions involved in this mission." In a detached sort of way, Shikamaru concluded that the look on Temari's face probably meant that she realized that right now he really wasn't feeling that much. **(1)**

"I see" She said, and released him. There were emotions there in that pretty face, but she composed herself quickly. In a mock imitation of a dutiful wife, she helped him pack and forced him to eat before they left without another word. It was never a question whether or not she would be involved in his plan. Shikamaru reasoned that the chance that he would need her was bigger than the chance that she would become a causality.

In the back of his mind there was a voice crying that maybe he needed a net to catch him once everything was done as well, but Shikamaru silenced it before he could consciously analyse that thought.

* * *

**(1)** He's in shock, and Temari just realizes that. Only, Shikamaru doesn't realize this. It was quite hard to write from his point of view while it is so much more logical to write this scene from an outsider's point of view. To Shikamaru, this all seems very logical because this is how his (albeit twisted) mind works right now, partially because of the shock. If I'd write this scene from anybody else's point of view, it would be quite bit more easy to see just how far past sane Shikamaru is.

**Asuma & Cigarettes:** I made a lot of references to smoking and cigarettes for the sake of irony. In Canon, Asuma dies because a team of under qualified ninja's is send to chase a few S-Rank ninja's. However, in this universe the cross-country meeting and Gaara's plan that was heavily discussed during 'the meeting', it was specified that only highly specialized teams could track down Akatsuki. AKA: ANBU! In the insight chapter, you can see that though Asuma was asked to join the original team, he couldn't find the right people (*cough, Shikamaru*), and decided to call in a favor with Kakashi. And remember just who owed Kakashi a favor for teaching Shikamaru? That's right, Tenzou! (Read the 'Tenzou and Shikamaru go out drinking' scene again, with this in mind. That should shed some light on the matter.) There is more to it, but this is what I'm handing you on a silver platter. Partially to show you guys how every, single thing said or done in this fic can come back to bite you in the ass.

**Normal, and the not being of it:** Shikamaru wants a normal life. He wasn't meant for it. I suppose you guys have picked up that this is quite a major theme in my characterization of Shikamaru.

**Chapter Length and Absence:** For those who check my Deviantart page, most of this chapter has been written ages ago. I just had so much trouble with the end scene, and I'm still not completely okay with it, but if I didn't post this terribly short chapter, I was afraid it would never get posted. I hope you can forgive me. For those who don't know: I always post previews on my Deviantart page.


	16. Home, Whoever that may be

_Long, long, long absence. I know. This was a tough cookie. I'm still not content, but I've made peace with the fact that I'll never quite be so here you guys go; the climax and at the same time, the end of more than just an Arc._

_**Chapter 16: Home, whoever that may be**_

* * *

"WHAT, HIDAN?!" Kakuzu spat at his partner after two hours of biting his tongue. "Just spit it out already, you've been chanting more than usual, and I've killed partners for less, trust me!"Screw self control, one of these days he was going to sell that religious dick to the highest bidder.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I heard something you dick!" Said partner, walking not two meter behind him, yelled back.

Kakuzu rolled his eyes. "What, your savior calling for you?" He said, tauntingly. He was getting too old for this bull-shit.

"More like, a shu-" Right then a masked figure dove forward from seemingly nowhere and disemboweled Hidan in one smooth movement of his sword. Before a drop of blood could hit the floor, the man had disappeared from their view.

Kakuzu blinked, and- "WHAT THE FUCK! That fucking hurts!" Hidan yelled in pain, looking around desperately, trying to keep his intestines where they were supposed to be. "Who the hell did that? Come here and face me you BASTARD!"

"Move, idiot!" Kakuzu gritted out, and fled the scene while scanning the surrounding forest for chakra signals, finding none.

Before he could find some higher ground to localize the unknown foes, a kunai hit him straight through a heart, ripping through the tissue. A wave of pain shook him, but after years of falling apart and sewing back together he could ignore the burning pain in his chest and move out of the way of the next attack.

Making an impressive back flip, he regained solid footing and cast a barrier jutsu around himself and his worthless partner.

Said partner was already busy drawing some of his religious seals on the floor for both offensive and defensive purposes, mumbling profanities. "What the fuck just happened…?"

"We were attacked." Kakazu deadpanned while he took care of stuffing back Hidan's organs where they belonged. Not that the man really needed them anyway, so he wasn't too careful.

Hidan didn't even hiss, but just looked at him thoughtfully. "Hell no, we weren't attacked, we were tested."

Kakuzu blinked; this was a rare moment of insight from his partner.

"You don't take the time to cut open someone's stomach in a battle. This fucking hurts the most, you know?" Hidan explained, motioning his stomach. "Whoever is trying to get us wants to know if I can still fight despite this. They know about us, or at least about our abilities."

That was at the very least unsettling. Whomever they fought against must also know he had more than one heart, he realized. The dripping wound was located at the right side of his chest after all. "You might be right." He replied. "Whomever we're fighting, let's make sure they don't survive to tell the tale."

Hidan gritted his teeth as Kakuzu sewed up the last part of the cut, stretching from hipbone to hipbone, but the message was clear: they were going to make them pay in kind.

Suddenly, a bright red explosion tag was placed against their barrier and within seconds the spiritual protection was obliterated in one big bang. The explosion allowed him to catch a glimpse of two shadows of cloaked figures, moving out of sight within fragment of seconds. "This could be problematic." Kakazu muttered to nobody in particular as he formed a snake seal.

"Raiton: Gian" and within seconds a laser-like beam of lightning shot from his lightning mask through smoke and rock alike in the direction of the moving shadows. Hearing no cry nor shout, he assumed he'd missed and he was correct. However, his partner had taken care of the smoke in the mean time, and he had leveled enough trees to take away their opponents hiding places.

When his opponents were revealed, Kakauzu felt an anti climax; it was just a young man and woman, judging by their looks from either Suna or Konoha. An ANBU and a Jounin. There was probably a price on both of their heads, but not significant enough for him to remember their faces by. He sighed; their surprise attack was probably a lucky shot.

Resolving to ending it quickly, he cast another Gian at the duo. What the woman did next surprised him though. She pulled out a large Tessen, and allowed the lightning to strike it. Instead of obliterating it however, it send the lightning straight back at him, nearly frying his partner next to him instead. His surprised gasp was overshadowed by her shrill laugh, and maybe, maybe she was worth his while anyway. She seemed somewhat-

Then a piercing pain shot from his head to his toes, tearing a scream out of his throat. He watched down and to his horror a sword pierced his chest once again, straight through his lighting mask. He grit his teeth and looked back, to see the shadow of a man, pulling the sword out and disappearing once more.

In retrospect, this was a fatal mistake. While he managed to track his attacker, he bemoaned losing eye contact with the woman only moments later. Half a second after a wave of killer intent hit him and he swiftly looked back, he saw the woman charging at him, her Tessen held like a club. He could narrowly avoid her first attack despite his tingling muscles.

_Swish!_

A narrow miss, avoided only by a nimble leap to the side. Another trio of swings forced him to roll backwards, making his pierced chest ache the fan coming close enough to whip a breeze across his skin. She rolled send a kick his way which he blocked narrowly. 'Oh shi-' was all he could thing before she used the momentum and turned round quickly, slamming the fan against his temple with enough force to decapitate a normal man. The pain of his back giving in and hitting the ground was vastly in superior to the all-overpowering throbbing in pain in head that seemed to take away both his vision and his calm.

It hurt, damn it hurt like hell! He used a quick defensive Doton technique to merge with the ground to recover for a second, hearing his partner faintly grunt and curse for all he was worth over the pounding in his head.

He'd had it up to here with these kids! This was plain embarrassing to be kicked down to this extend by a couple of children just out of their diapers! The shame in his gut gave birth to a fiery anger, swirling and swirling until he forgot all about the pouding in his head. Clenching his bruised knuckles, he undid the Douton technique, seemingly raising from the grave and back into the battlefield.

He had no time to lose. Clenching his jaw, he grit out "Fūton: Atsugai", and within seconds a tornado sprang into life. He heard his partner curse, and saw that the two flee the site. He chuckled with not a small amount of statisfaction. If only his worthless partner could get a hold of either of the two, they'd be done. But because the guy was quite worthless, his tornado would do the trick.

Kakuzu's Fuiton Jutsu ripped through the forest as if it weren't there, and every time he heard the sickening crack! Of a splitting tree, he imagined it was one of those kid's bones breaking. It didn't take long until they tried to make him dispel the technique, but this time he was prepared to counter a hit. The tessen was once again aimed straight for his face, and in the back of his eye he could see the boy looming around him, with no doubt waiting for the girl to make a strike.

He didn't move, smirking in the face of his opponent who came at him at a dazzeling speed until-

Within moments he released the jutsu in favor of his favorite kin jutsu and it was too late for the woman to avoid it. Without feeling much pain his limbs stretched and stretched, creating a web of wires. The woman's eyes went wide, knowing she'd walked right into his trap, and showed of his stitched smiling face.

He wrapped the tentacle-like wires around her body in mid air and – much to his delight – made her cry out in agony as he squeezed the air out of her. The pained look on the child's face made the roaring cry for restoration of his honor settle down pleasantly, and he figured that after he'd squeezed every drop of blood from her bruised, lifeless body, he'd even let Hidan use her as a sacrifice. His damn neck still hurt from the woman's hit and she would damn well pay the price for it!

While he gleefully thought of what he'd do with her, he was still mindfull of her partner looming around. He knew the guy had Hidan on his tale, but well aware that Konoha ANBU, which the guy without a doubt was, were usually evasive enough to avoid Hidan for awhile.

A broken, bruised face sprang into mind. Hadn't they killed an ANBU a while ago? The body had exploded within seconds after the guy had uttered his last words, but he remembered a similar mask. _'Heh'_ he thought as a smile twisted his stitched visage _'maybe they were out here for revenge'_

He didn't get time to ponder more on that notion as he suddenly felt a searing pain in the place where his heart was supposed to be. Looking down, he found no new wounds, and the girl still struggling for freedom in his grasp. The pain however, was there and it was making him not just a bit angry, because this could only mean one thing…

"You idiot!" He yelled at his partner, who was laughing quite gleefully for someone who had a sword pierced through his chest.

"What! He's my sacrifice you fucking cheap-ass!" The man yelled back. Then, his face fell and he realized that his so called sacrifice was not withering on the floor in pain, but in fact cutting Kakuzu's wires down. "Ow"

'Ow' Indeed.

"You've got my blood you fucker!" Kakuzu yelled right back, trying to salvage his grip on the girl, but failing painfully while moaning the loss of yet another heart. At this rate he'd only be able to use his Douton Jutsu, and at any rate his visioin had turned to red. Never in his 92 years of existence had he ever...!

"But, I fucking slashed the guy's gut open!" Hidan cried, looking more confused than ever.

"I'm not even surprised you can't even do your own proper sacrifices!" He grunted back at his worthless partner. He forced himself to relax; he was a professional, and if anyting he should keep his calm. He refocused his attention to his attackers, standing right in front of him in the clearing.

She was obviously bruised and it seemed that his wires had at the very least broken her fan, if not some bones. The boy favored his left leg and was bleeding a bit.

A meaningful glance passed between them, and they both instantly dropped their weapons. As the sound of metal hitting the floor echoed through the battlefield, they slapped their bleeding hands together. A moment later, the wind started to swirl around the man and Kakuzu realized that this woman didn't really need her fan to manipulate wind. Not at all, really.

A few seconds later, the wind had picked up too much dirt that had covered the forest floor to even see his partner. Though through Chakra sensing he could locate him, he could easily see that it was already too late; his partner was moving away from him.

Their tactic, probably from the start, had been to split them up and fight them one-on-one. He cursed silently under his breath and focused on his opponent, trying to figure out at first who it was.

The moment the dirt suddenly dropped its impassable formation and focused on piercing him, he knew it was the girl. The air around him spun with uncountable leaves and sand, and how they seemed to blend in the shadow they created, and wondered for a second if it was a symbolic act. He took no second longer to react and countered the piercing attack with a wall of earth, flushing the remains away with a following wave of water and a gush of wind. She might control that element of hers with an admirable precision, but she was merely a child with a gift compared to what he had.

Said child stood firmly a few meters in front of him, as if she hadn't even expected her technique to kill him. His green eyes glanced back and forth in search of her partner, the masked ANBU from the Leaf, but his theory was confirmed when he couldn't see nor sense the man anywhere near.

When a weapon with wind induced speed was suddenly approaching him he focused back on the woman, who regarded him with a thousand yard stare, merely observing like the ANBU had seemed to before her. He catched the kunai between his teeth and whirled around to shoot it back at her at the same force. A moment later, they were fighting at full capacity.

'_I should have ended this quickly,'_ He thought as he saw her dodge one assault after another. _'This fight just got that much harder.'_

* * *

Shikamaru couldn't focus on anything else but the man in front of him- not the man he had left behind with his capable partner, not the dark clouds that started to crowd above them, he couldn't even remember when he had set off from Konoha. There existed nothing but the man who had killed his sensei, the only guidance in a world of justified and unjustified violence intertwined so deep into each other he would have been lost without him. And was lost without him. If not for this state of mind, he would have probably asked himself if this was how Sasuke felt about his revenge…

However, a mind numbing sensation had overtaken him as soon as there was no Temari to distract him. Another part of his brain whispered that he should move fast and disarm the man as quickly as possible and get back to Temari, but as soon as he acknowledged the idea, it died. His mind was a calm rage that was hyper focused on the man, on his techniques, on his body and on how he would be killed. He knew this sudden inability to focus on more than just the man couldn't be right, and Tenzou-sensei would had his ass for it, but when the thought returned that his teacher would never ever have his ass for anything the calm rage squelched his musings in a wink, and he made his first move.

In a swift move, he converted a some chakra until it cracked and launched the bolt through his opponent, who he had released from his hold with a Kagemane he hadn't even known he was still holding. While the man avoided it with the awkward movements one makes when you have just regained control of it, Shikamaru fired a second, pumping more chakra into it however.

Hidan pulled out his scepter in order to avoid a hit. Once again, the best defense can be an attack. He launched the enormous thing at Shikamaru and now it was Shikamaru's turn to dodge. He jumped forwards, and clasped the cold metal of Hidan's weapon, not shedding a single drop of blood in the process. He pulled it towards him and surprised the man be getting even closer. Using this surprise, he lifted himself of the ground and swung himself over the man in a split second only to attack him from behind immediately after. A jolt of electricity missed the Akatsuki member's heart as he managed to dodge some of the effect, reduced his left arm to a black, burning piece of flesh. Shikamaru hurriedly made a back flip when the man lashed out with his regained weapon and spun around in an attempt to slice his head off.

He vaguely registered a lot of cursing from the other man, but frankly didn't seem to mind.

His sword fell on the ground just out of his reach, and he saw the man smile in triumph, going in for the kill. Shikamaru just stood there until –

His hands started to dimly glow and without even uttering a word he gathered the required amount of chakra into his hands, slapping them together.

Hidan's eyes went wide in shock, and he was close enough that Shikamaru could see the black lightning mirror in his eyes. His new, elementally changed version of lightning shot straight through the man's body, and burned his intestines.

Shikamaru allowed a small smirk to overcome his features as the man choked up his blood, and did he see an ounce of fear in the man's eyes? If not, than Shikamaru would make sure that it would soon be there.

Charging again, he continued to shoot black, radiating lightning at the man, leaving a fearful black fire in its wake that would scorch the forest and his enemy alike.

* * *

Temari send another tornado at him and was pleased to see he had even more trouble to avoid a hit than the last one. He might have superior strength and jutsu, but she learned just as quickly as she moved and attacked. The searing twister tore through his earth wall with ease, tearing it to pieces in a heartbeat.

The earth made a comeback immediately after. Through superior elemental manipulation, the ground rumbled, split and cracked to reveal molted rock making its way to her.

The man smiled his morbid smile, the stitches flexing and enhancing the look of inhumanity as his attack hit her. She jumped out of the way from the molted rock that seemed to follow her at frightening rate, but the hit of the remaining non-boiling rocks from the crack was inevitable.

But she wasn't giving up. This might not have been her battle in the first place, but it was her battle now. Her fan laid broken and discarded at the edge of their battlefield as she canneled one fuiton jutsu right after the other.

Wind had a disadvantage over earth in general, but right now, with superior speed and superior killing intend, she felt that her favorite element was an even match for the ancient man's earth elemental Jutsu.

"You're stronger than you look, girl." The disgustingly stitched up man taunted her "But you're getting tired and you know what that means".

She really, really wanted to just bash his face in, but he had been trying to make her retaliate for ages now. She was making no progress; he guarded that last heart with his life and wasn't half as cocky as he'd acted during the beginning of their fight.

She decided that a change of pace would do her good, and with that thought in mind she readied a few explosive tags. Within seconds, the entire battlefield was turned into a minefield, but one of which she was into control. The moment the first bomb went off, possibly tearing off a limb or two, she knew she was enjoying this a lot more than was sane.

It just didn't seem to bother her as much as it used to, and for a brief moment, she considered that this might just be what Gaara had felt all these years.

Maybe they weren't so different after all.

* * *

In the mean time, Shikamaru's white calm rage was reaching its climax. The man was getting desperate and had started summoning zombie like creatures to act as a decoy or a defense. But it was no use, for he could not hide from Shikamaru's assault.

It was tiring him, but the fear that Hidan's body just seemed to scream was worth every drop of chakra Shikamaru pumped into him.

Regaining his sword, he channeled the black lightning into it and renewed his assault. The battle rushed by in a blur, Shikamaru unable to recall how his injuries had been sustained as he stood with cold indifference at his loss.

In the end, only one of them was standing, and it was him. He gathered his remaining chakra and gripped his trusty sword twice.

The man's body was bruised and black where it had taken hits from his lightning. Blood was oozing out all orifices, and for once the disgusting sight pleased Shikamaru. But the battle was over, as he laid on the ground with his feet too scorched to stand, his hands cut off and his chest full of holes, and Hidan knew this.

He loomed over the man, making no show of severing each limb from the battered body. He would have enjoyed the sound of it, if it hadn't been over-stemmed by the gruel cries of horror from a man who had once been considered immortal.

But what was immortality without a head? Without a body to control? The man tried to struggle, move out of his way, but Shikamaru was relentless.

"Who are you?" Hidan asked, trying to squirm away with every separate piece of his body.

Shikamaru didn't falter pumping even more chakra into his hand, the radiating darkness becoming larger and more lethal with ever second. He merely stared the man in the eye and prepared to strike the lethal blow."Death" **(1)**

Just before he brought his hand down and the dark lightning connected the body parts, electrocuting every single cell, he saw the immortal relax and meet his end. Nothing but black, unrecognisable former limbs remained as he walked away back to his partner.

Temari was still fighting for her life, having rid the man of at one arm and his calm. Her clothes were torn, soaked with blood not solely her own and Shikamaru mused he had never seen a face more beautiful than her own blood streaked one. In the obliterated landscape, she looked nothing short of ethereal.

Without a second thought he rushed to her side, meeting her eyes and striking one blow at the man right after the other. He found chakra in reserves he didn't even know he had, slowly losing the feeling of numbness and gaining once again a smile on his face.

His black lightning sizzled in the night sky and Temari's laughter thundered over the destroyed forest ground. Within minutes they had the man on the ground, squirming, screaming, but defenceless.

Shikamaru and Temari shared a look, and a smile. He took a deep breath, and gathered all the remaining chakra he could excess in his body, and uttered one simple word:

"Raiton: Shikyo"

Within seconds lightning struck through the man's body, scorching his insides, frying his brains and destroying all that was once alive. When the only thing that remained was a static feeling in the air, the remains of the man's body we're as black as ash. For good measure, Temari kicked them which resulted in a crunch.

Whatever life there had been in the man, it was now gone for all eternity. With that last attack, the next generation had surpassed the former.

Shikamaru took proof of their kill, and hoped that the man's belongings and ash would be enough. The chakra residue should do the trick.

They walked away with a great degree of effort that suddenly overwhelmed them now it was finally over. He caught Temari as she almost fell. Willpower can only get you this far, even if you are as stubborn as her. He lowered them to the ground and took of his mask, and willed himself to meet her eyes. He found nothing but acceptance and exhaustion. A waterfall of feelings suddenly overcame him, things he simply hadn't felt came crashing down. The dread of what had happened, what he had lost and what he would have to face was enough to make him vomit whatever there was in his stomach. Suddenly, all his wounds seemed to spring into live with a feiry ache, and he felt downright miserable.

And so time passed without either of them speaking a single word, simply recovering slightly. He held her while he silently broke down, not desperately weeping but silently mourning.

"He meant so much to me." He managed to choke out silently, voice cracking from exhaustion and emotions that seemed to hit him now his quest for vengeance was over. "I… never imagined he could die. It didn't even seem possible." Now that the battle was fought and the enemies defeated, he had time to process everything.

Temari was not above showing concern or caring, and with great effort she took his arm and hugged it in a silent way of showing she was still there.

Together they watched the dark clouds break and clean the bloody forest with its rain, and sat there without caring for anything but the comfort and reassurance of each other's heartbeat. At some point their backs met the ground, and not much later there was laughter, and sounds that were completely unrelated to that.

Maybe it wasn't supposed to be like this, Shikamaru reasoned somewhere in between all this, but danm didn't it feel right. By the time they pulled themselves together, got up and he slit on his mask again, the early moonlight failed to reveal any distinct features anyway. They walked all the entire way home, collapsing shamelessly on each other a few times along the way before stumbling into the city hidden in the leafs.

Somehow, he felt lighter.

* * *

At the very same moment a man, dressed in a red cloak made to withstand the hardships of the desert and to hide more than a man's body and his pupil received the message of the loss of two former comrades from a messenger bird. In the end, the red-head thought, it was good that he'd taken the boy as his pupil, since his comrades we're falling one by one and if anything, he knew that you always needed a proper plan B.

And what better plan B. than a double agent of his own?

* * *

The feeling didn't entirely stick in the aftermath. Temari had made a home in his room in ANBU, and they were thoroughly enjoying each other's presence in various ways. Within his little room, deep underneath the village and his friends, his family, his duty and all the lies that held them together there was a time for them and in Shikamaru's case, a time for recovery.

ANBU, the Hokage nor any of his friends knew he was back. Hiding from them, from the consequences seemed like the best thing to do right now. Every night he thought, _'just one more night, and then I'll return to life.'_ Every morning he saw her eye the door, count their minimal food reserves and think _'just a few more hours'_.

But they were both kidding themselves; they were glad forget life for awhile. Because every morning she had done this, she would look at him with those shining green eyes and that unkept hair, hiding nothing and taking all in and he would pull her back into his bed and try to forget all else for just 'five more minutes'.

To some extent, he really hadn't changed from those lazy days back when he was a genin.

"I don't know much about relationships." Temari says tensely one evening. "And possibly even less about successful ones." They hadn't been talking much about this.

Shikamaru wanted to react, to make her shut up not to burst this nice little bubble they had build up, but she had always been the braver one of the two of them. Temari effectively cut him off by continuing. "I've never had time for it, but I do know that with your job and my brother, this probably isn't going to work out."

"So? I mean, if you don't want to…" He let the question linger, feeling more confused than rejected.

"Never said I didn't. 'Just telling you, so you know what you're up to."

"What I'm up to? What is this to you, signing a contract?" Shikamaru's eyes narrowed dangerously, his voice sharp. "This is what trashy novels call 'love', and it's supposed to be unconditional and stronger then fate and yada yada yada."

"You know damn well that this is no love story. Hell, if anything, It'd be a tragedy by the way you're acting." Temari countered just as sharply. "And at least I'm taking this serious. There is more than just a proverbial distance between us. There's a three day travel and a crap load of loyalty issues as well, and that's just a start."

"Relax, I get it. Sheesh." Shikamaru sighed in frustration and combed some hair out of his face absent-mindedly. Women and their ways of overcomplicating things…"This is something we both want, right?" He added, almost like an afterthought.

At Temari's affirmative nod, he continued. "Right. So, let's just do what we do best. Screw rules, customs or feelings and do what we were doing before we got all awkward and official."

"And what are we supposed to be than, oh wise one?" Temari joked cruelly. "Frenemies? Friends with benefit? Lovers? Master and slave?"

"This is just what it is; love. It's us, it's twisted and probably not very maintainable, but most definitely worth a try." And that stopped Temari's joking. He was serious, after all. "After all, naming every aspect in life is terribly overrated and constricting. The man that spoke the words; 'let it be' was a downright genius, if you ask me."

Temari nodded, "you're right."He gave in to the unconscious desire to let his thumb run over the back of her hand, and took no shame in watching Temari looking with obvious amuse. "But you want to name this. Us." He said after a pleasant silence.

Temari sighed, the smile slipping of her visage. "I guess. I'm a straightforward woman. I like absolution, and your poetically right words to give me that."

"Okay then, should I kneel or buy a ring first." Shikamaru said teasingly, and Temari laughed open heartedly.

"You know what I mean, you idiot." She said, barely keeping her laughter inside. "It's all right, I guess. I can feel your aversion for the words girlfriend/boyfriends and I agree that the term lover is overused, nor do I have a better term. So let's just stick to yours until I get to buy a romantic dictionary." She added, winking. "I heard Icha Icha was just fine."

"You would know." He said, and left it at that. "And I'm not adverse to the word boyfriend. You could call me that any time you'd wanted. I just think that the word does not cover the load, you know?"

"Lovers, then? Because I do, you know," Temari said, mirth in her voice as she spoke. "Love you." Maybe that had been their first verbal admission. It didn't feel like it though, and Shikamaru did not feel like everything was suddenly clearer after hearing it.

"So do I. And I have no problem saying it, at all." He admitted. "But love, I've come to understand, is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every passing day. I do not need those words. I need that smile, those lips on mine and the way you frown when you disagree with me. I need that, no words what so ever."

"Yeah, you're right." Temari said, though not as enthusiastic as Shikamaru would have liked. Falling in love, becoming an 'item' was supposed to be romantic, but in their case this had been nothing more than another debate. It had not been romantic, nor had their relationship been at any point so far. It had been hot, but he knew that it was more than lust that he felt for her. He didn't need romance to prove that, and frankly didn't have the time to court her properly. But there was something he could do…

He grabbed her hand and held it over his beating heart, making her feel every beat, every confirmation of his continued existence. And the evidence of that pretty little thing that was between them. "Can't you feel it?" He was not insecure about his feelings, and knew she wasn't either.

Temari's widened eyes met his own, but her words came out accusingly. "I swear, if you start spouting shit about 'just for you', I'll end this 'us' here and now."

"Of course not." He offered in a matter-of-fact tone, still not letting Temari pull back her hand. "But you get it, right?"

This was intimate, he realized. Much more intimate than making out or confessing. Even if their feelings were long since out on the table and confirmed, this was the moment of no return; life isn't always about wanting and getting a choice. Those three words were just said too much, they had become too casual. This was his heart on a platter, and three words were not enough.

"I get it." She said, not even hiding her pleasant blush.

He met her eyes and smiled back unrestrained. "I knew you would." That was a lie, but in his defence he could say that he'd sure hoped she would.

They met each other's eyes, smiles reaching from cheek to cheek and laughter filling the evening sky and Shikamaru thought that they might just have had their first romantic moment. Maybe they didn't have a need for courtship, but that moments like these were just fine.

Temari giggled once again. "For someone who's adverse to spouting poetry, you are ridiculously gifted."

He smiled, and kissed her lightly. Her eyes were playfully, daring. Brave, even. For some reason, in a way it had never done before, this gave him strength. His mourning wasn't over, the numbness wasn't gone and he still didn't feel like facing the day light. But using her as a crutch, he was able to not only lift himself out of his –their- bed, but also to get dressed for the first time in days. He lit the candles, illuminating that trusting, smiling face that made lewd, playful comments as he tried to tidy the place a bit.

"You know, I'd promised myself I'd never do this." He said, while he got a blank piece of paper from one of the piles of rubbish that we're covering his room's floor.

"Do what?" Temari asked quizzically, but he never answered her question.

It was time to bite the bullet and pick up what his sensei left behind for him. With that thought in mind he wrote a note, consisting of only one word, and put a bright red ribbon around it. He felt bitter, he still felt hurt, but this is a decision that Tenzou – no, life – had made for him a long time ago. He could already hear Tsunade complain when she found out what he had just accepted, and the Captain Commander's hand on his shoulder, telling him not to outgrow him too soon. For now, he closed his eyes and let a single tear slip over his face, reaching the ground and disappearing.

This was it. There would be no more hiding, no more avoiding duty. This was the future that had always been looming over him. He'd never be normal again. Maybe he'd never been that. It didn't make him feel any better, but this was not about him. Hidan, Kakuzu, hell, entire Akatsuki; people like them would continue to come and go, and he would do his bloody part if that was what he was supposed to do.

It was what Tenzou would have done and did until his dying breath. It was too late to turn back, so he would move forward. With that thought in mind, he opened the door and left his sanctuary a slightly more sane man. He delivered the note, turned in a very short report of his deeds and walked straight out of the underground building, into the blinding, scoring summer sun.

Shikamaru's father would blow his lid if he ever heard about him joining ANBU. Behind his back, even. But he would be beyond livid if he ever found out what he did today. However, Shikamaru had a backup tactic, and decided that today was the right time to tell his parents, and friends for that matter, of the fact that he had been promoted to Jounin.

Of course, in all the celebrations he forgot to add that he had been a Jounin for the past 5 and a half months. In his head, he celebrated his promotion with some bitterness that his teacher was not there to see him take up the red scarf.

It didn't matter anymore. He was going home, wherever that may be.

* * *

**(Title) Home, whoever that may be. **This isn't a typo, but a way of the author asking her own main character the question; what is hope? I guess you guys can fill in the blanks.. OR CAN YOU? In retrospect, you'll find you probably can't.

**(1)** A little bit of national history involved here. **Who are you?** (Wie bent u?) last words of the Count of Nychlenborch, a dutch freedom fighter. After being stabbed in the chest near the heart-area by unknown assassins, the old count asked who did it; on which the assassin replied: **Death **(de dood).

**Notes:** Please note a vital difference here: Temari and Shikamaru work together rather seamlessly here, in contrary to Kakuzu and Hidan who are really in there for their own gain. This is illustrated by the fact that while Kakuzu keeps an eye on Hidan, he really doesn't pay much attention to his attacks or tries to make a combined effort. This is one of the reasons why they are taken down with relative ease. I wanted to show this, instead of just saying 'our teamwork improved', to show not only the progress of my main characters, but of their relationship, which is one that is mostly one of unspoken words and hidden gestures. I hope I did not disappoint.

Oh, and Shikamaru is definitely dragging Temari down with him, probably without realizing this. I'm not trying to dive too deep into it because the fic is about Shikamaru and not about Temari, but I hope it's quite visible that not only Shikamaru's mental health is somewhat wavering.

Oh and dear reviewers, please tell me what you liked best **and** what confused, upset or angered you. I only write this, I have no idea of how it translates into your minds.


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